Third district in Goa under govt’s consideration: Minister

Panaji, Aug 2 (IANS) Creating a third district in Goa is under active consideration and the government has formed a committee to assess all the aspects, Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate said on Friday.BJP MLA Gahesh Gaonkar had moved a Private Member Resolution seeking the creation of a third district comprising seven Assembly constituencies.Gaonkar requested to include Sanvordem, Ponda, Sanquelim, Valpoi, Priol, Shiroda, and Marcaim constituencies in the third district with its head office in Ponda.Replying to the resolution, Monserrate said the matter is under active consideration.“To work out the modalities for examining the pros and cons of creating a new district, a committee was formed in November 2023 under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. It has been directed to assess the need for the creation of a third district. It has been also told to suggest the boundaries of the new district after considering various aspects like population, economic status, availability of infrastructure, and public opinion,” Monserrate said.Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said it would benefit the Schedule Tribe community if certain areas of their habitation are included in the third district. “Canacona, Quepem, and Sanvordem are lagging behind in terms of development. Hence, if the Quepem constituency is considered as head office of the third district, it will help maintain an equal balance,” said Tawadkar, who is the MLA from Canacona.On January 29, 2021, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik also moved a private members resolution to constitute a third district for better administration and efficient delivery of services to every citizen of the new district.–IANSsbk/arm