Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari enters the Legislative Assembly complex to deliver his maiden address to the House on Monday. Narayan Pissurlenkar
PANAJI
The winter session of the Goa legislative assembly got off to an eventful start with Opposition members capturing eye-balls by wearing black bands and holding aloft placards with anti-coal slogans even as Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari delivered his maiden address to the House on Monday morning.
Koshyari's address, while listing 'achievements' of the government, repeated the 'my government is working to resume mining' refrain of two of his predecessors even as the State is the nearing the end of the third year since this crucial sector has been shut after the March 2018 Apex Court judgement.
"My government is continuously making efforts to resume mining in a systematic manner by rejuvenating the state's economy, preserving the environment, the natural resources, the health status of the people in the mining sector with the main vision to ensure 'sustainable mining' in the state of Goa," Koshyari said in his address.
He went on to add that 24 e-auctions were held and 14.68 million tonnes of ore stacked at various yards was sold.
A part of Koshyari's speech also touched upon the backlash on the State's finances unleashed by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on economic activity.
"Though there was complete lockdown for more than three months, the State has collected Rs 292.22 crore up to December 2020 as against the target of Rs 547-crore for the year 2020-21," Koshyari said, giving a glimpse of the extent to which cash-flows into the exchequer have plummeted due to the pandemic.
Koshyari also dedicated a part of his speech to pat and express gratitude to those behind Goa's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"At the outset, I would like to congratulate the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues, State Executive Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, all frontline Covid warriors, Officers and officials who successfully controlled the spread of Covid-19 (pandemic) in the State," Koshyari said.
The Governor also patted the State administration for what he claimed was "smooth supply" of essentials to citizens without shortage during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said, a novel "Grocery on Wheels" initiative was implemented whereby essential commodities were provided at the doorstep of the common man.
The Mhadei water sharing dispute with Karnataka also featured in the address with the Governor claiming that the government is "keen to protect the interest of the State."
Koshyari listed the Special Leave Petition challenging the Mhadei Tribunal's award in the Supreme Court and an allied "contempt petition" over Karnataka's attempt to divert the river waters as measures taken by the government in the over three-decades old dispute with the neighbouring State.
