MARGAO
Minister for Cooperation Subhash Shirodkar on Wednesday said that the State should have more fisheries societies to tap the Rs 1 lakh crore of central funds meant for the development of fisheries.
He announced that all records at the zonal offices of the Registrar of Societies will be fully digitized in the new year around January 2023.
The Minister disclosed plans to shift the office of Assistant Registrar of Societies from Gomant Vidya Niketan to the vacant space in the Water Resources Department office and quarters in the new year.
The Minister on Wednesday descended on the Margao zonal office of the Assistant Registrar of Societies and found a paucity of space for the effective functioning of the office.
He also visited the WRD, Gogol office and inspected the place to facilitate the shifting of the zonal office of the Assistant Registrar of office to the WRD office.
Shirodkar was taken aback when the officer informed him that there are only eight fisheries societies in Salcete and Mormugao.
“There’s a central fund amounting to Rs one lakh crore for the development of fisheries. Goa should have more societies in the fisheries sector to tap the central funds and to take fisheries to greater heights in the State for the benefit of the local fishermen,” he said.
Interacting with the citizens present at the zonal office of the Registrar of societies, the Minister said that citizens should get their work done in the office without putting many trips unless the matter is quasi-judicial in nature. He said this after citizens drew his attention to the delay in disposing of cases.
Shirodkar told the officials to maintain new registers category-wise, one for the housing societies and the general societies.
Disclosing plans to visit all the zonal offices of the Registrar of Societies in the next two months, Shirodkar conceded that the zonal offices need streamlining to cater to the requirements.
“I have come to have a feel of the place, how the staff is working and whether they are attending to the people,” he said while issuing instructions to maintain a complaint register and a compliance register for the housing societies, general societies and the self-help groups.
“Goa has around 1,540 societies, out of which 1,250 are housing societies. We have a very less number of farmers and dairy societies in Salcete. The number has to increase. We have to lay stress on dairy in Salcete,” he said.
