MAPUSA
The Calangute panchayat will roll out a series of Village Development Programmes from October 2 to 16, aimed at empowering the community through training, awareness and skill-building initiatives.
The panchayat plans to launch a campaign focused on sustainable development, aiming to diversify the coastal economy and look beyond tourism.
The programmes will cover infrastructure development, women empowerment, youth training and business development, with expert sessions conducted by trainers from JCI India.
According to Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, the initiative seeks to promote sustainable village growth by enhancing skills, supporting entrepreneurship and encouraging active participation of women and youth.
“As of now we see only shacks and hotels in Calangute. We want to train our youth to start their own ventures and create jobs. For this, we need the cooperation of villagers, local leaders, organizations and media partners,” Sequeira said.
The programme schedule
- Village Infrastructure Development Programme “ October 2 (Inaugural Ceremony)
- Women Empowerment Programme “ October 6 and 9 (3 pm “ 5.30 pm)
- Youth Development Training Programme “ October 11 (9.30 am “ 5.30 pm)
- Business Development Programme “ October 16 (9.30 am “ 5.30 pm), followed by the closing ceremony.
Social worker and Calangute Constituency Forum President Premanand Diukar noted that the Sarpanch decided not to restrict the initiative to Calangute village alone but to extend it across the entire constituency.
“This is not a one-day process. This is only the beginning, and it will have to be continued every year. Today, youth have become only job seekers. We must train them to be job givers, so they can build businesses and create opportunities,” Diukar stressed.
The panchayat has appealed to residents and stakeholders to actively support the initiative to make it a success and set a model for holistic community development in Goa.
