Team Herald
PONDA: The Querim gram sabha on Sunday was informed that the village has been adopted by North Goa MP and Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik.
A letter to this effect was officially handed over to the Sarpanch Anisha Gaude at the meeting which was attended by Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, Ponda Deputy Collector Navnath Naik, Ponda BDO Prasidh Naik, Panchas and a large number of villagers.
Expressing its happiness over the adoption of the village by the AYUSH minister, the gram sabha hoped that this would lead to solving the long pending water shortage issue.
Currently, a large number of barrels and utensils are kept in front of houses daily to collect water supplied by tankers especially in hilly areas where water does not reach.
At the meeting, the AYUSH and culture ministers appealed to the locals to extend their full cooperation in respect to issuing NOCs or land acquisition needed for developmental activities in the village.
The AYUSH minister said that under the ‘Model Village’ scheme Imbrahimpur in Pernem has already been adopted and Querim was the second village to be adopted under that scheme. Shripad said that he was aware that Querim was grappling with several problems and water shortage was its main problem.
He appealed to the villager to coordinate with and guide the government appointed panel in conducting survey of the village for its all round development. He urged them to participate in planning of their village so that, he said, health, education, employment, infrastructure suitable to their area could be undertaken.
Culture minister disclosed that he was daily interacting with his voters on water shortage issue and that pipelines have been laid at many places now. Informing that the newly laid pipelines supply water regularly, he urged the people to take water connection.
