MARGAO
Delay in setting up the State Minority Commission by the Goa government and the burning issue of Kabrastan for the minority community figured prominently at the interaction members of the state minority community had with the National Minority Commission member at the South Goa district Collectorate here on Thursday.
Member of the National Commission for the Minorities Rinchen Lhamo has promised to take up the issue of setting up the Goa commission for the minorities with the State government as well as with the Centre.
A member of the Muslim community, Sheikh Iftikar, explained to the member of the Minority commission the over decade-long delay in setting up the state Minority Commission in Goa. He said the issue had been hanging fire for well over a decade now, even though former Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar had formed the state Minority Finance and Development Corporation. “It’s now over a decade since we had placed our demand to set up the state commission for minorities in Goa. We have been told that such a commission cannot be set up in the State. Please look into the issue and ensure that the state minority commission takes shape at the earliest so that the members can avail the benefits,” Iftikar said.
Social Welfare senior officer Ajit Panchwadkar later told the media that the member of the National Commission for the Minorities took a review of the issues faced by the minority in Goa and also explained the schemes meant for the minorities, both centrally and state-sponsored schemes.
He said the member conveyed a message to the minorities in the state to avail benefits of the various schemes.
“The members of the minorities present raised various issues with the Commission member, including the long-pending issue of constituting the state commission for minorities and the burning kabrastan issue,” he said.
