PANAJI
Joildo Aguiar, the former agriculture minister in the first government formed by the Congress in 1980, passed away at his Ponda residence on Wednesday.
Aguiar was elected to the Goa legislative assembly from Ponda constituency in the 1979-80 election and inducted in the cabinet of Pratapsing Rane in which he held the Agriculture, Information & Tourism, Social Welfare, Public Assistance and Provedoria portfolios.
Born in Panaji, he grew up in Ponda studying at Almeida High School there. He then pursued Lyceum in Panaji and joined as a teacher at the government school in Morjim. He was later absorbed in the administrative section of the Postal department but quit service after the demise of his father to take up the responsibility of the family estate.
In the political field, he was first elected unopposed to the Ponda Municipal Council in 1970. He was elected, again unopposed, as president of the municipality, a post which he held uninterrupted until 1976. During this tenure, he oversaw planning and laying of new roads at Khadpabandh, Durgabhat and Varcondem.
Aguiar also was instrumental in constructing primary school buildings at Khadpabandh, Varcondem, Durgabhat, Haveli-Curti and Yeshwantnagar and the first football ground at Ponda was also his brainchild.
He was an avid sportsman himself and promoted volleyball and football besides officiating as president of the famous Jawahar Club of Ponda. He also built a theatre in his own personal property to promote cultural activities.
His rapport with people across communities was well known guaged from the tradition of Shigmo processions from various villages making a pit stop at his residence.
He is survived by his wife Nelly, who was also chairperson of the Ponda Municipal Council, a daughter and his younger son Melvyn and their families.
His older son, Cedric Julio, who was a top campaigner behind the #SaveMollem movement, had succumbed to Covid-19 in May, 2021.
