There comes a time in the history of every country when a visionary leader, riding on the wave of huge popular support, embarks upon a journey of complete transformation. This vision encompasses not only the principles of good governance, but also the formulation and implementation of policies that specifically take care of the needs of a particular state. For India, this journey began in 2014 when Shri Narendra Modi won a huge public mandate to lead India towards progress. The people reposed their trust in him in 2019, and now, more than nine years later, India has emerged as a true global leader as Bharat, the repository of ancient wisdom.
As the country rejoices the birthday of the beloved Prime Minister Shri Modi on September 17, the people of Goa join the celebration, saying, “Thank you Modi Ji, for giving Goa so much.”
Goa is a small state, known for its golden beaches, rich heritage and a truly global culture. It also occupies a pride of place for introducing strategic and long-term initiatives to put in place a system of governance that is inclusive, accessible to all, and affordable – with many services being free for all residents of the state.
In the last nine years, an amount of about Rs 30,000 crores has been spent by the Central government on the development of Goa. Such an unprecedented spending by the Centre on this state has never been seen in the last many decades. The impact of the special attention given by the Centre towards Goa is visible to everyone. It will not be an exaggeration to say that the inspiration for many such initiatives has been the guidance and vision of the Prime Minister, who always had a special word of praise and affection for our state. Goa is today doing well in different aspects of life like combating malnutrition, women empowerment, access to quality health services and remarkable urban development towards making smart cities.
Empowered women, happy families
A sea-change can be seen across Goa, from the urban areas in north to the coastal areas on the west, to the tribal-dominated areas in South Goa, when it comes to empowerment among women. With the help of several key schemes, women are engaged in self-employment, running their own tailoring business, food stalls, craft making and so on. Most such activities are done through self-help groups, a concept which has taken deep roots in Goa.
The biggest game-changer has been the wide and implementation of the Swawlamban Scheme. It aims at providing financial assistance to Mahila Mandals or SHGs for training and orientation for members for generating their own activity for self-employment. This scheme is applicable to all the eligible and registered Mahila Mandals and women’s SHGs within the territory of Goa. The examples of difference being made by this scheme are many. For example, there is the Shri Durga Mahila Mandal in Vantem, Sattari, engaged in making savouries and sweets. As its president Laxmi Satkalkar says, the women associated with the group have played an instrumental role in changing the lives of their family members.
Likewise, members of the Shri Siddhanath SHG of Sattari make incense sticks (agarbatti.) Its president, Aarti Gholkar, says the women are making good use of their skills and getting handsome returns. Members of Umang SHG of Salcete make cloth and jute bags. Their products are appreciated for their design and quality and are popular among visitors and locals alike.
Women in Goa have carved out a niche for themselves in all walks of life. The association of the state with women empowerment was also highlighted through an exhibition during the meeting of the G20 Third Development Working Group (DWG) held in Goa some months ago. The exhibition, named ECHO, after ‘Economy, Climate, Health, Opportunities’ displayed success stories of women entrepreneurs from the grassroots level.
Across the state, improvement in women’s health and their general contribution towards the state’s development can be seen. The changes have been brought about with augmentation of health facilities, mother and child care, nutrition, vaccination, availability of medical care in times of need or distress, and implementation of Central schemes related to women and child development. For me, it is a matter of huge satisfaction that the vision of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has been translated into positive and timely action. This has enabled women in Goa to lead happy and empowered lives.
Well-being of all
The well-being of the people is considered the best parameter of the development of a state. I am glad to say that Goa ranks among the best states in the country in terms of providing health care that is accessible, free and incorporates latest technology. The government of Goa has shown the way in implementing its famed Goa model of Health care, with special focus on women and child health. This has been made possible by following up on initiatives suggested by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in this regard. Our government has come up with innovative projects to tackle all kinds of health care challenges such as creating and strengthening health care infrastructure, and covering other aspects of screening, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases.
The government of Goa, I am proud to announce, has taken giants strides to meet the objective of universal health care. As per the plan of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, an “Ayushman Bhavah” (meaning Always be healthy) campaign is being launched on September 17 to create awareness about various health care schemes. It includes “Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0” scheme to distribute Ayushman Bharat card to all remaining eligible beneficiaries under Prime Minister-Jan Arogya Yojana Scheme. Ayushman Mela is proposed to be held from September 17 to focus on optimizing utilization of health care services and awareness generation. The third part is holding Ayushman Sabha at village level and ward levels. The three activities are a befitting expression of gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Modi.
The new approach to health and wellness means the overall ambit of health sector governance rather than just treating the sick persons. This includes mental health, wherein Goa is a front-runner state to launch TeleMANAS, an accessible and equitable platform to handle all types of emotional, psychological, sexual and addiction problems.
Thousands of people, including students, adolescents, elderly and women from across Goa, have reached out to this completely confidential, round the clock and toll-free service for mental health and well-being. Experts in all aspects of psychological, behavioural and addiction issues of the adolescents, adults and elderly provide free tele consultation and advice on these issues. One of the key results is that suicide rates can decrease across the state by proper utilisation of this service. Interventions are done in the form of counselling, psycho-education and psychotherapy. For a happy and healthy Goa, this service has brought the much-needed mental peace and well-being to the people.
Another aspect of holistic well-being is taking care of the elderly. The Prime Minister has been especially sensitive towards this issue, and Goa has been proactive in implementing and launching schemes under the National Programme for the Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE) with the objective of providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality long-term, comprehensive and dedicated care services to an ageing population.
Towards smart cities
We understand that cities are hubs of business and technology innovations. It is estimated that Goa’s urban population will rise dramatically over the next 15 years, with more than 80 per cent of the state’s residents expected to live in towns. Urban transformation is often considered as a modern feature of the city. Keeping this in mind, urban renewal and alleviation of urban poverty are at the centre of many schemes by the Department of Urban Development and its wing Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA.) As per the vision of the Prime Minister, all urban local bodies are being made e-governance enabled, thus marching ahead to become smart cities.
Approval has been received for a GIS mapping of urban dwellings in South Goa, while the exercise for North Goa has already started. This major exercise by the Urban Development Department will help in examining revenue losses in municipal areas and plug leakages.
Schemes under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) such as formation of SHGs to ensure skill upgradation, market access and credit, have made tremendous difference in improving the quality of life for the urban poor. Winds of change and socio-economic transformation are visible as one moves around the cities in Goa. Quality of roads and civic amenities, water supply, cleanliness and street lights have improved vastly in the last few years. Since the state gets a continuous stream of tourists all round the year, all urban facilities are strengthened and renovated to keep with the global interest.
As the nation wishes a long and successful life to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, I join the people of Goa in extending greetings to our popular leader. We assure him that our government will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling the dream of a strong and powerful Bharat.
(The writer is the Minister for Health, Urban Development, Town and Country Planning, Women and Child Welfare, and Forests in Government of Goa.)
