Team Herald
MARGAO: In a shocking revelation, the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that in a state like Goa “there are around 70,000 households which don’t have toilets and vowed to provide them with the facility by October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) this year”.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of new Balika Kalyan Ashram of Matruchaya at Margao.
The Matruchaya organisation has completed 40 years and the Margao ashram was their endeavour in the 40th year.
The Chief Minister also assured support to Matruchaya but however said, “Support to old age homes is not on my list because it shows the decay of the society. Our root virtues have to be brought back”.
“Government has drawn a circular not to use plastic at state level. From May onwards, there will be cloth bags available in the market. This kind of work does not happen without passion and craze in the minds of those committed persons and Matruchaya has proved it,” Parrikar said.
Parrikar said that an Open Defecation Free Society (ODF) meeting was held on Saturday wherein he was informed that 70,000 houses in Goa do not have toilet facilities. He further informed that he will make sure that all these households will be provided with toilets before October 2, this year.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said, “The government should think of protecting the marginalised on the lines of 2 per cent Corporate Social Responsibility to industries.”
“We are starting a big plan. For forty years this trust has been running with the help of the workers and the trustees and I bow down to them,” said the President of the Matruchaya Trust Shrinivas Dempo.
He further said that Health and education is the real need of the country and Matruchaya has been ahead in both the fields. He also expressed the need to preserve moral values.
