Mineral Foundation of Goa Chief Executive Officer Dr Sachin Tendulkar felt that MFG’s two decades of experience and expertise in low cost and participatory solution to address the issue of rural development of Goa should get a broader canvas.
“We are reaching out to different stakeholders and partners to share this expertise and experience and we look forward to the District Mineral Foundations (DMF) in North and South Goa to give us the opportunity to channelise this expertise to develop the mining belt of Goa and achieve sustainable development goals,” said Dr Tendulkar.
MFG Chairman Nathan Chowgule said the DMF has been set up to raise funds to do things identical to the MFG.
“Until the DMF funds are actually distributed, it will be difficult for MFG to get the funds to do the programmes it has been doing so well and for so long.”
“If the government can make MFG a partner, it would be quite helpful for MFG to continue its programmes.”“Each one of these programmes that we have, such as the waste management programme, the water harvesting programme, can really help not only the communities where mining takes place but communities all around.”
“I hope that the MFG will continue to be a trusted partner for even the government to help take these programmes further and wider than just mining areas.
MFG Vice-Chairman Ambar Timblo said the activities have been covered in areas of social development, education and environment.
“We believe that the scope of the MFG has to be expanded because the mining industry is far more under a microscope now that it has been and therefore, the MFG should not just be seen to be doing things, but it should be doing substantially much more,” said Timblo.
MFG former chairman Shivanand Salgaocar said although the initial funding has come in from the mining industry, he was glad that the MFG team has been trying to make it self-sustainable.
“The MFG team has been going out of their way to approach government agencies, government development agencies, UNDP and corporates, to channel their implementation through MFG, given the expertise that they have built up over a period of time.”
