http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=280045
Goa governor with a difference SANJAY BANERJEE TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2003 08:39:41 PM ] PANAJI: Dhoti Kurta and Hindi are not what Goans have been born with. The former Portuguese colony with considerable western influence, finds the Goa Governor Kidar Nath Sahani a trifle anachronistic yet making a quiet impact on the policy formulations of the IIT educated chief minister, Manohar Parrikar. It is not only the attire of the soft-spoken Mr Sahani, whose chaste Hindi makes him distinct in a gathering. His advocacy for taking up work of barber, carpenters, motor repair to the educated youth waiting for jobs, makes many twiddle their thumbs and twitch. With a literacy rate of 82.32 per cent and per capita income of Rs 61,301 per annum, the thrust is on variety jobs abroad, particularly the Gulf and the tourism industry. It is therefore only likely the aspirations of the youth may not match with the septuagenarian Mr Sahani, whose long haul in social life is a story of starting from scratch from undivided India (his birthplace now in Pakistan). But with a skewed income distribution, school and college drop outs and diploma holders waiting in the wings for a government job, the government has underscored the role of industrial training institutes, traditional art and craft, set up handicraft shops, krishi mela finding ways to indulge its people in agriculture. "It is my experience in life that what I have been suggesting to the people of Goa is the solution for a long-term sustainable economy. It is a small population with vast resources and yet Goans are slow in picking up opportunities as there is absence of dignity of labour," the governor reiterated during an interaction with the media on completing one year in the gubernatorial post. The governor's insight into the economy gets reinstated by the Census 2001 figures for the state that notes an increase in urban population percentage at 49.77 to the total population. The Census attributes the sudden increase in urban population in the initial years to the liberation of Goa in 1961 resulting in "heavy in-migration of labour force." The process since then, say social analysts, has not halted and the port towns of Vasco, Mormugao and commercial hub Margao in South Goa opening up vistas for a floating population that has stayed on. Having played a stellar role in increasing the milk production in Sikkim during his previous posting, the governor would like vast acres of land in Goa too to be developed for augmenting supplies. Says the acting managing director of Goa state cooperative milk producers union limited, Srikant Naik, "The Goa dairy supplies 90,000 litres per day of which some 40,000 litres is procured from Maharashtra and Karnataka. There are 15 to 20 different brands supplying around 60,000 to 70,000 litres per day. There is scope for production of another one-lakh litre milk on a daily basis." The governor strongly feels there can still be more income generation and employment, if there is cheap infrastructure (hotels) catering to the domestic tourists around 13 lakh (almost equal to the states' population). With the foreign tourists at around three lakhs, a cross-section of the industry too thinks alike. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
