MARGAO
Promising to take up cudgels for the beleaguered women Self Help Groups supplying mid-day meals to the schools, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai has dared the Goa government for an open debate on the floor of the Assembly in the ensuing session on moves to rope in a Gujarat-based company to supply the mid-day meals.
In fact, Sardesai said the government cannot displace the Goan women entrepreneurs engaged in the SHGs just to facilitate the entry of the Gujarat company in the business of mid day meals.
The Goa Forward Chief threw the gauntlet to the government for a debate on the issue in the ensuing session of the Goa Legislative Assembly after a group of Goan women SHGs supplying mid day meals called on him at his office here on Wednesday evening.
“Let the government answer why and who is bringing the Gujarat based company to supply the mid-day meals by displacing the local women entrepreneurs. Let the government tell the people who is the partner of the company and why the government is so keen to get the outside company in the mid-day meal business,” he said.
Demanding to know whether the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant would succeed in making Goa Swayampurna Goem by displacing the Goan women SHGs from the mid-day meal supply business, Sardesai said Goa is known all over the world for maintaining quality standards in food. It is as sheer irony that Goan SHGs are sought to be displaced on the lame excuse of quality when Goans are known the world over for churning out quality food,” he said, adding that the government seemed hell bent in allowing an outside company to establish business in Goa at the cost of local women Goemkars.
