Stating that he was sympathetic to the woes of the residents of the district who have to travel to the passport office in Panjim for passport work, he inspected the collectorate with concerned government officials.
“I spoke to the chief minister and he sent a note to the External Affairs minister and the passport office should open in a month or two,” said Furtado.
He added that the office space was spacious and centrally located and this should resolve the hardships faced by many.
On the concerns regarding Yoga Day, Furtado stated that he had spoken to the chief minister at the Secretariat and was assured that it was not mandatory. He also conveyed the demand of many that it should not be held on Sunday but on Monday.
Furtado further stated that the central government had planned to convert five Goan rivers into waterways among the 101 rivers of the country. He said that the River Sal, which is the lifeline of Salcete and which is dear to his heart, is one amongst the five rivers which will be taken up for restoration by the government under the Central government-sponsored scheme.
“I would like to state that I took special efforts to pursue the matter of dredging and beautification of the river Sal,” said Furtado, while adding that the work will be taken up from the river’s origin at Verna to its mouth at Betul at a cost of Rs 200 crore.
The project is in the final stages of approval and will soon see the light of the day, added Furtado.
Furtado further stated that he was following up the Hospicio hospital matter which has been facing several maintenance related problems.
