HERALD: Do you feel that now that Pernem taluka has a Chief Minister as well as the Speaker, will it see the long awaited development?
KISHOR: First time after the first Chief Minister Bhausaheb Bandodkar, Pernem has someone in the top post. Earlier, Pernem taluka had three constituencies, there are two constituencies now and both are with the ruling party. One being the Chief Minister and the other that of the Speaker, Pernem taluka has great expectations from the government.
HERALD: What are the various issues that have plagued and continue to plague Pernem?
KISHOR: There are various issues that Pernem is plagued by. Most people are in agriculture and horticulture business and grow cashew and banana. There is only one industrial estate – Tuem.
One positive thing has happened is that Goa Anti Private Limited has been taken over by another firm. Apart from GAPL, the entire industrial estate in Tuem is in a mess. There has not has been much employment as well as industrialization. Before talking about expansion of industrial estates, the government must put these estates in order to create employment opportunities before talking about expansion. People are not very happy about the industrial estate.
Also people had high expectations of Tillari irrigation project. But this has not really taken off. Tillari would have been a boost to the agricultural sector in Pernem. But nobody has really paid attention to this.
In the tourism belt there is absolutely no infrastructure or any major project. If infrastructure is developed then tourism will develop in this northern most taluka.
While developing the taluka, it is important to see what are the needs of the Pernem people. A proper study has to be done on this. People are expecting something from the government.
HERALD: Will Mopa help development of the area? What are the priorities that the government needs to take up?
KISHOR: After Mopa comes up, what type of development will come up? What type of employment opportunities will be there for the locals? The government has to conduct a study or bring out a white paper and show how Mopa will benefit Pernem and Goa. If unplanned development takes place then this will not help Pernem. Basic problems like water, electricity need to be tackled first.
First priority should be given to agriculture and horticulture sector. These issues have to be sorted out first. Then develop Tuem industrial estate as a model industrial estate. Thereafter government can go for its expansion. At present the estate is a mess.
In education too, Pernem taluka is still lagging behind. There is a single government college. That too it only has arts and commerce streams and no science stream. People who want to study science have to go to all the way to Mapusa. The present college has to be upgraded and with all streams. There is no proper bus stand; no proper market and nor proper transport facilities. We hope that this representation in the ruling government will definitely resolve all these.
