CANACONA
Avoiding any direct reference to the State government’s plan to set up a Film City in Canacona, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hinted that a Film Industry Skilling Centre and Dairy Training Centre on par with the Aviation Skill Development Centre at Mopa Airport can be set up in Canacona to train youth and develop skills in respective trades.
Sawant was speaking at the inaugural function of the centenary celebrations of Damodar Vidyaprasarak Saunstha’s Shri Damodar Vidyalaya at Loliem late Wednesday evening. Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldessai, Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar and former minister Isidore Fernandes were also present at the function.
The chief minister’s statement comes barely days after the Loliem-Polem Gram Sabha unanimously rejected to oppose the Film City in the village. The chief minister stated that Canacona’s Vision-2030 will get incorporated with the State’s and Centre’s Vikashit Bharat-2047.
“When we speak about 2047, we need to think what is needed in Canacona and the whole State, right from Dairy to Film City, everybody's development should take place,” said Sawant.
“If youth enter dairy farming, their development should take place in dairy farming. There are youth willing to work in the film industry. Working in the film industry doesn’t mean that everyone should be a Hero and Heroine, but the technical force behind it is a major industry.”
“When Mopa International Airport started, we started an Aviation Skill Development Centre (ASDC) there and trained 2,000 youth, of which 1,300 are employed at Mopa Airport and balance 700 youth have begun to work in the hotel industry elsewhere in the State.”
“Likewise when we are starting dairy in Canacona, whatever is required for a Dairy like Kudti Training Centre can be started here or to get necessary technical support needed for a Film Industry, a Skilling Centre can be started at Canacona,” Sawant said.
The chief minister also said he has plans to open a Centenary Scheme for institutions and the government would revise and re-introduce the Hostel Scheme to support Hostels. “Maximum hostels are run in Canacona taluka. About 4-5 hostels are run in Canacona besides the one run by Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar,” said Sawant.
The chief minister also advised teachers and parents to get children to prepare for the GPSC examinations right from Std 8. “We see more candidates in UPSC, IAS, IPS, from other states, because their parents prepare them right from Std 8, 9 or 10. Our teachers should prepare children right from school level to answer various competitive exams like GPSC, UPSC, Banking, Postal, and Railway recruitment,” said Sawant.
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai, Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar and Damodar Vidyaprasarak Saunstha President Vishwajeet Warik also spoke at the event.
On the occasion, seven benefactors, including Goa’s first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar and Diogo Luis Fernandes (father of former minister Isidore Fernandes) of Shree Damodar Vidyalaya were felicitated posthumously. SSC toppers from school since 1964 were also facilitated at the event.
