PANAJI
In a move towards planned urban development, the Goa government has decided to identify and eliminate all illegal slums and for which District Magistrates are appointed as nodal officers.
The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting with the Chief Secretary, DGP, and other senior officials to review key agendas for the State Budget 2025, set to be presented next month. The agenda of 27th Western Zonal Council meeting, held in Pune, last week was also discussed.
According to the press statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), directions have been issued to the district magistrates to identify and eliminate illegal slums reinforcing efforts towards planned urban development. The move aims towards utilizing the land for providing affordable housing.
The directions were also issued to the authorities to revise the Panaji master plan and formulate new master plans for Vasco, Margao and Mapusa town.
The meeting also discussed addressing the issue related to malnutrition in rural areas and implementing measures to reduce school dropout rates.
Accelerating the implementation of special fast-track courts for swift disposal of Rape and POCSO Act cases and enhancing the 112 Emergency Response Support System to significantly reduce response times across the state.
“Directions have been issued to explore successful governance models from other states for potential implementation in Goa,” CMO said.
Strengthening the banking network to ensure every village has a bank branch within a 3 km radius was yet another issue discussed.
Ahead of the Budget presentation, the Chief Minister reviewed the expenditure of the current budget, the status of key assurances, and preparations for the forthcoming budget.
