Legislators, particularly from the Opposition Benches on Wednesday made a strong case for the government to walk an extra mile to preserve Goa’s water bodies and resources.
Participating in the discussion on the demands for grants pertaining to the Water Resources Department (WRD), MLAs made a strong case for protection of water bodies in their respective constituencies and also across the State.
AAP’s Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas, said there is a need for the government to draw up a State Water Security Plan and for gram sabhas across the State to draw up ‘Village Water Securty Plan’.
Viegas said it is necessary that lakes, ponds and springs need to be protected and the culture of village panchayats, through gram sabhas, drawing up water security plans must be initiated. He cited the example of his own Benaulim constituency which he said had several lakes (tollim) and also springs. “If these are properly managed, the bundhs that hold them are maintained, the non-drinking water needs of the entire Benaulim constituency will be provided for,” Viegas said.
GFP’s Vijai Sardesai demanded that the WRD acquire the ‘Dam-babachem tollem’ in Margao and maintain it. He also asked the government to be serious about desilting/dredging the River Sal and some of its tributaries.
Sardesai also warned that Goa could face severe water insecurity and claimed that by 2047, there would be a nearly 50 per-cent (800 mld) shortfall, and suggested that the State should plan to tackle this future shortfall now itself.
‘Tighten screws on financial co-operatives’
Meanwhile, speaking on the demands pertaining to the Cooperative department, MLAs particularly from the Opposition benches called for tightening the screws on financial cooperative entities involved in frauds and embezzling money deposited by hardworking Goans with them.
Opposition Leader, Yuri Alemao, Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas, Velim MLA, Cruz Silva, Fatorda MLA, Vijai Sardesai, Aldona MLA Carlos Almeida and some MLAs from the treasury benches as well expressed concern over several Goans losing their hard earned money in such rogue credit cooperative societies.
The MLAs were speaking in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday during the discussion on the demands for grants pertaining to the Cooperation Department held by Subhash Shirodkar.
The MLAs said, if required the Cooperative Law should be amended to incorporate stricter rules. Sardesai suggested that financial cooperatives should be mandated by law to make available their NPA positions on real time basis if not to the public, at least to their shareholders.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo suggested that the law should prohibit directors of the Credit Cooperative Societies from availing loans from the same society. Viegas demanded that the RCS conduct concurrent audits of financial cooperatives to ensure early detection of fraud.
