MARGAO
South Goa District Collector Agnelo Fernandes on Monday said it has been decided to pay money to the panchayats from the District Mineral Fund for the purpose of paying private bus operators transporting school children in the
mining belt.
This amount, he informed, will be paid through the block development officers of respective jurisdictions.
A meeting chaired by the Collector at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex has further decided to resolve the water woes faced by the mining dependents by requesting the Water Resources Department and the PWD to supply potable water to the people inhabiting the mining belt.
“We have decided to pay money to the private bus operators from the District Mineral Fund through the BDOs. In the new academic year, KTC buses will be deployed to transport school children,” the Collector said.
On the water supply front, he said potable water will be provided to the households. Water filters will also be installed wherever necessary, he added. The meeting was also attended by Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar and Sarpanch of Dabal Sandeep Pawaskar and sarpanchas from the mining belt.
After coming out of the meeting, Cabral said the Collector has assured to release the payments to bus operators. He said the Collector has promised to call a meeting of the officials of the PWD and WRD to work out a solution on the water supply front.
Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar termed the meeting as positive.
Dabal sarpanch Sandeep Pawaskar told the media after the meeting that every time the mining dependents raised the issues of water supply and transport facilities for school children in the mining areas, the authorities either point to the Supreme Court or High Court order. “We are sure that education of our children has not been stopped by the Supreme Court or the High Court order. In Sanvordem, there’s neither a college nor a higher secondary school. Whatever schools we have are spread in far flung areas,” he said.
