Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: In reference to the Mhadei issue with Karnataka, Minister Subhash Shirodkar stated that Goa is in a strong position and that the establishment of PRAWAH and its operation is a step in the right direction for the State.
“I’m worried about Mhadei just as much as Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao or Vijai Sardesai.” We are in a strong position,” Shirodkar stated, noting that the State is represented by a full complement of twenty attorneys in the Supreme Court of India’s challenge against the Tribunal’s verdict.
In order to keep the House Committee on Mhadei, which he chairs, informed of all developments in the issue, including the results of PRAWAH meetings, Shirodkar also consented to call a meeting of the committee in August.
In response to the concern expressed by Opposition members regarding the widespread extraction of groundwater in the State through borewell drilling, Shirodkar acknowledged the issue and promised to plug and minimize the number of borewells by as much as fifty annually.
Later, Shirodkar spearheaded a bill that the House enacted, fining both the transfer of groundwater and the construction of unauthorized borewells with fines of Rs 5 lakhs.
According to Shirodkar, Goa Dairy has been profitable for the past six months, taking into account staff salaries of up to Rs 3–4 lakhs per month.
The minister stated that investigations into previous scams are still ongoing, including an ex-MD paying Rs 12 crore.
Regarding the claims that financial cooperative bodies were in disarray, Shirodkar refuted them, stating that fraud was the reason behind the collapse of only a small number of these companies.
According to the new law, 21 individuals are no longer eligible to run for office in the credit cooperative societies. Shirodkar stated that thousands of cooperative units were operating in Goa, genuinely helping the average person in a variety of fields.
