PANJIM: Rural Development, Housing and Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar on Thursday suggested that the Union ministry consider a special scheme for Goa to meet the needs of housing.
Salgaonkar was speaking at a meeting arranged by the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in New Delhi on Thursday.
“I suggest that the ministry may consider a special scheme for Goa to meet the needs of housing by relaxing the conditions of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for the State,” Salgaonkar said.
He discussed the peculiar Goan topography and demography and various bottlenecks in smooth implementation of PMAY such as ownership of land, objections and rejections by local authorities of beneficiaries identified by the government, shortage of government land, high standard of living, requirement of conducting a fresh socio-economic caste census and other issues.
The minister also mentioned that Goan villages are semi-urban in nature and the State has built roads covering almost every part of the State.
“There is however, a need for roads in some pockets in Goan villages, but the land owners are reluctant to donate lands. Land acquisition is a prolonged process and may not fit in the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana,” he said.
The minister also recommended that the PDGSY (Gramin) be suitably converted for Goa to cover waterways so that inaccessible villages can be covered through water transport.
Salgaonkar also discussed with the Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Narendra Singh Tomar about effective implementation of PMAY (Gramin) and PMGSY.
