House informed on schemes for dhangars

House informed on schemes for dhangars
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 23
Minister for Social Welfare Ramkrishna Dhavalikar in a written reply to the Goa Legislative Assembly during the monsoon session informed that the ‘Water Storage Tank’ scheme for the Dhangar community could not be implemented due to non-receipt of applications from panchayats.
The objective of the scheme is to provide water storage tanks of 500 litres capacity for human consumption as well as for cattle rearing in hilly and remote areas where a sizeable community of Gouly (Dhangar) population resides.
Dhangar families who are notified as OBCs and having income less than Rs 1.50 lakh per annum are eligible for the scheme.
To a question posed by Quepem MLA Babu Kawlekar, the Social Welfare Minister replied in all four schemes were formulated for welfare of the Dhangar community during the year 2009-10 out of which three were approved by the Government.
He informed further the Water Storage Tank could not be implemented due to non-receipt of applications from panchayats. Dhavalikar revealed a scheme titled ‘Gouly Urjya Yojana’ was under the consideration of the Government. The minister further informed two schemes – Bicycle to Gouly Students and Shikshan to Gouly Girl Students – were implemented during the year 2009-10. The budgetary provisions for the welfare of the Dhangar community during he year 2009-10 was to the tune of Rs one crore.
He said the Government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 7 lakh to implement the Bicycle to Gouly Students scheme and Rs 8 lakh for the Shikshan to Gouly Girls scheme for the year 2010-11. A provision of Rs 32 lakh has been made for the welfare of the community during the same year, he stated.
The population of Dhangar families resides in remote and hilly areas like Sattari, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. Due to the difficult terrain, besides other reasons, the bicycle scheme has been implemented for students from Std VIIIth onwards in an effort to make it convenient for them commute to school without any difficulty.
The Shikshan to Gouly Girl scheme has been implemented for students passing Std X and taking admissions to Std XI or any other vocational and diploma courses.