MARGAO
South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Wednesday said he has sought the intervention of the Union Finance Minister to address the issues plaguing the cooperative banks in Goa, including the Madgaum Urban Cooperative Bank and Mapusa Urban Cooperative Bank.
The MP has also opposed the government plan to privatize the Benaulim prawn hatchery, warning that the very objective of setting up the pilot project will be lost if the unit is handed over to private players.
Addressing the media, Sardinha said he has taken up the issues plaguing the Madgaum Urban Cooperative Bank with the Union Finance Minister, drawing her attention to the problems faced by the beleaguered depositors.
“I drew the attention of the Finance Minister that depositors are forced to produce their doctors’ bills and pharmacy bills to get their own money deposited in the MUCB. These depositors are living hand to mouth even though they have their money saved in these banks. The situation is very bad. Union Minister of State for Finance, Anurag Thakur has replied saying the matter is under consideration,” he said
“I have has urged the intervention of the Union Minister to facilitate the depositors to withdraw their money from these banks,” he added.
He demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Minister for Cooperation Govind Gaude should also intervene and give relief to the depositors, who are facing a situation wherein they cannot have access to their own hard-earned money.
On the Benaulim prawn hatchery, the MP said the hatchery was not set up to make profits, but to serve the public. “The government should not hand over the hatchery to private parties. Let it revive the unit since the closure has only forced the farmers to head to states such as Andhra Pradesh to get fish seeds,” he said and added that the Fisheries department should instead concentrate on increasing fish production and make it affordable to the common man.
The MP further said he has received a letter from Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar that the South Goa parliamentary constituency will get some projects under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission. “Since I am the Chairperson of DISHA, I will review the projects and ensure these take shape in South Goa”, he added.
