Mickky announces housing scheme for needy Nuvem locals
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MAY 14
There’s good news in store for the constituents of Loutolim constituency.
If local MLA and Power Minister, Aleixo Sequeira has promised to allot 400-odd housing plots at the Verna plateau to the deserving villagers by June this year, his challenger and Housing Minister, Mickky Pacheco – who has set his eyes firmly on Loutolim — has announced an ambitious housing scheme to meet the housing needs of the needy villagers of Nuvem.
While distributing paddy seeds to the farmers of Nuvem on Friday along with Nuvem ZP member Wilfred D’Sa, Pacheco said he has plans to acquire land admeasuring six lakh square meters in Nuvem and make them into plots of 250-300 square meters and distribute to the needy villagers. “I understand the difficulties faced by the villagers of Nuvem on the housing front. I want to acquire land in the village and distribute them into plots for the needy”, he said.
Hitting out at the big landlords for disposing off land to parties from Delhi and Mumbai, Pacheco said if the current trend continues, outsiders will outnumber the Nuvem villagers one day. “I want to acquire land and distribute the same to the villagers. This will also help to retain the land and utilized by the locals instead of by outsiders”, he added.
Earlier, Pacheco and Wilfred distributed 500 bags of paddy seeds for the farmers and have promised to provide fertilizers to ensure the seeds grow into plants.
“Don’t hesitate to come to me for any help and assistance. I will continue my work in Nuvem”, he said, while profusely thanking Nuvem villagers for electing Wilfred with a comfortable margin in the ZP polls.
Incidentally, both Pacheco and Wilfred had distributed around 400 bags of paddy seeds to the farmers of Verna. “During my visits to Nuvem, I have found many farmers still cultivating the fields, unlike many other villagers, where fields are kept fallow”, he said, while asking the people to protect their land and not to sell them to outsiders.
Wilfred D’Sa later told newsmen that the objective behind distributing the paddy seeds is to promote farming in the village. “People showed their love for me by giving me a huge lead in the ZP polls. Now, it is my turn to shower my love for the villagers”, he said.
He said the people have formed Nuvem Krishi Saunstha wherein machinery including tractors and power tillers will be made available to the farmers as part of efforts to promote agriculture in the village.
