Team Herald

PORVORIM: Assuring a legislation to determine a person with Goan origin, the State government on Friday announced to make 25 years domicile mandatory for availing housing board plots. 

The House on Friday had a healthy debate on a private member’s resolution moved by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who recommended that the government ensure through suitable legislation and executive orders that persons of Goan origin are given preference in employment to public and private sector, who have directly or indirectly availed government assistance.

He also said that persons of Goan origin should be first choice in disbursement of assistance under financial schemes and subsidies extended by the government, as well as in allotment of comunidade and Goa Housing Board plots. 

Lourenco said there is a perception that MLAs allow migrants to take benefit of government schemes, as they are a vote bank. “We need to change this vote bank politics,” he demanded. 

NCP MLA Churchill Alemao and Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte also demanded that the government protect the interest of the original Goan by ensuring special reservation for them in fields like jobs, education, etc.  

Speaking on the resolution, the Chief Minister said the government will have to determine who is the original Goan, whether the one who is born in Goa, or has 15 to 25 year domicile or whose parents, grandparents are of Goan origin. “We will have to determine this first. For this, we will have to bring in legislation,” he said, assuring to table the legislation during the next Assembly session. 

Earlier speaking, Housing Minister Mauvin Godinho informed the House that the government has decided to have 25 years domicile, instead of 15 years, mandatory for availing housing board plots. 

Labour and Employment Minister Jennifer Monserratte reiterated that the government cannot reserve 80 per cent jobs to Goans in the private sector. She said that many Goans travel to other parts of the country like Bangalore for jobs, too.