PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Swayampoorna Goa' initiative on Thursday aimed at self-sufficiency of Goa's 191 village panchayats.
Some 41 village panchayats have been identified by the government to implement the programme initially Sawant said, adding that these villages will be mapped with regard to existing infrastructure and potential areas to make it self-sufficient.
"Goa has to rely on importing goods from other States, because we have neglected our own produce. Every day, we need two lakh litres of milk to be imported and 1.5 lakh eggs are a daily requirement during the (tourism) season. Why can't we produce this in our villages," Sawant asked while launching the initiative digitally.
Under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Swayampoorna Goa' initiative, officers and school teachers will move in these 41 villages and get feedback on existing infrastructure. They will also seek to enumerate sectors that have potential in each village, Sawant said.
"We want to eliminate poverty. We are completing sixty years of Liberation (from Portuguese rule), and if a resident of Goa is still below the poverty line, we need to change this," Sawant said.
Initially envisaged as the “Village Economy Revival Plan”, it calls for reforms in the administration, including streamlining of government procedures, people-friendly governance and most importantly strengthening the panchayats.
Devolving powers to the panchayats, although mandated by the Constitution, could be the biggest bottleneck for its progress as key politicians in the Sawant government have hardly in the past been enthusiastic about shedding powers or sharing it with elected members of panchayats.
