On this 9th anniversary (12/12/2009) we at SGPIAG re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of service to Society and assure one and all that we are here to stay no matter the travails of times.
Recollecting our experiences in the past nine years, we must state that our presence as an NGO has been of great help to the society we live in. This we have ascertained from the fact that we are being approached by ever increasing number of persons having individual or issues of public interest. Over these nine years we too have earned a lot of valued experience from the type of problems that confront the Society. True we have not been able to redress all of their grievances, but certainly with our interaction with them they have gone back with a positive feeling that there is atleast one NGO who is available to them at their beck and call. Our dedicated HELPLINE (24 HRS) stands as a mute testimony of this goodwill. During the course of these nine years we have participated in almost all endeavours by the Government of Goa and partly those of the Central Government too intended to provide its citizens measures for improvement in the quality of life. Whether it be by making valuable suggestions on proposals of the Government where public participation is called for or at interactive symposia. In the first of its kind ADHOC COMMITTEE MEETINGS on Budgetary denands of the Government of Goa to discuss the budget proposals of each fiscal year. we have made our presentatation on almost all the demands . This is indeed a record achieved by us despite the fact that there are several other NGO's or Civil societies present in Goa. We are proud to state that our views obtain through interaction with the public have been well documented by the State Government and also taken note of. This we consider our singular achievement in the ninth year of our existence. There have been several attempts to draw our NGO to act either as the mouthpiece of those on the Treasury benches or those on the Opposition However we must state that in the past nine years we have resisted all such pulls and pressures and remained APOLITICAL, though our members have been given extensive freedom to have their own political leanings. We must say with pride that this has endeared us to all the Poltical establishment the Executive irrespective of political affiliations and we have been able to interact with those that matter irrespective of the political affiliation of the Government in power. We vow to mantain this position in the years to come. Several well meaning citizens have requested us to extend our jurisdiction beyond the South Goa District/Mormugao Parliamentary Constitutency where our activities are presently confined to. We have however always participated in movements relating to issues that affect the State of Goa as a whole when the situation demands. We are sympathetic to the aspirations of our well wishers and would endeavour to widen our sphere of activity by the end of a decade in office. It may interest our well wishers to note that presently the NGO is funded entirely by the members themselves and we do not receive any financial assistance from any quarter. There have been institutions from within Goa and outside who have approached us to undertake assignments on behalf of them with assurances of financial assistance. We have acknowledged such offers but have desisted from getting drawn into such alliances atleast until we are firmly rooted in understanding the nitty gritty of NGO's considering the fact that there are several civil societies, NGOs and fora that have made their appearances and faded into oblivion unnoticed or have merely, fomented emotive issues without pursuing the objectives of the issues taken up to their logical conclusion. Our thanks to all those that have provides us the encouragement and moral support in our activities. For SOUTH GOA PUBLIC INTEREST ACTION GROUP Regd No 171/GOA/2000 dt 12.12.2000 sd/- TERENCE MAZARELO PRESIDENT (SGPIAG) 1st Flr Benlix Bldg Opp Fatima Convent Margao Goa India sgp...@yahoo. co.in weblink http://mumbai. sancharnet. in/manojnd FAX +91 832 2712430 HELPLINE (24 hrs) 9822158584 Tel +91 832 2731373 (O) TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOA/INDIA visit:www.goidirect ory.nic.in, www.goagovt. nic.in The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage. http://in.yahoo. com/
