Influx of migrants manageable,says ex-union home secy HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JULY 14
Even as the people across the State are up in their arms against the influx of migrants, the Commission on the State-Centre Relations New Delhi today claimed that the issue was not very serious and is manageable. "There has been migration from the places like Bihar or other eastern non-developed states towards Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab and Goa," Dhirendra Singh, the former union home secretary and the member of the Commission said while interacting with media-persons at the end of the Western region consultation on State Centre relations today. Singh said this problem is witnessed mainly by the developed part of the country or a place which in several parameters a better place than the non-developed State. "There are many infrastructure projects which are taken up in Goa post colonial phase and they required labour to develop the mining infrastructure or even to the different services provided to the tourists and hence they were brought in here," he said. Singh claimed that "the people who come to Goa are really because they are extremely poor and really don't snatch away the higher level of the jobs. "They are basically poor people who are doing jobs, same as in the developed countries where most of the Indians go and do jobs," Singh explained adding that the migrants are mainly in the unorganized sector. He said migration, which occurs due to lack of development in certain part of the country, can be tackled constitutionally and administratively. "The tensions that are supposed to arise are not at that level which cannot be managed in Goa but the issue can be managed," he said adding "it is not such a serious issue which cannot be tackled by the co-operation of the States." MHADEI: Singh said that the issue of great concern like Mhadei water dispute between Goa and Karnataka can be resolved through the inter-state commission. "Inter state council can be involved in to resolved the Mhadei dispute if it cannot be politically resolved," he said adding that "Inter-State commission is an institutional mechanism is provided by the constitution of India, which can be invoked resolving such inter-state disputes, with inputs from the Central Government." SPECIAL STATUS: Replying to a query on the Special for Goa, Singh said that the demand for special status comes practically from all States. Each state demands a special status based on its strength, he said adding it is for the Centre to take a decision. http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=24553&cid=26
