‘Clean Goa key for tourism to flourish’
Panaji: Cautioning against the evil designs of some elements “trying to create divisions in Goa for political gain”, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said there was a need for the citizens to remain vigilant against such attempts being made to disturb the state’s religious harmony.
Addressing a gathering at Old Goa on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Sawant said, “Goa stands for unity and peace. People of all religions live here harmoniously. However, some individuals are trying to divide us. We must resist such attempts and stay united for the welfare of the state.”
Urging citizens to embrace Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of Satya (truth) and Ahimsa (non-violence) in daily life, he said there was a need to promote peace and collective progress.
Sawant said every citizen must contribute towards a clean Goa for tourism to flourish in the state. “Mahatma Gandhi always advocated for cleanliness and development of our villages. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi took up ‘swachhta abhiyaan’ as a tribute to Gandhi and today it has become a mass movement,” he said.
The Chief Minister said political unity is essential to building a “Viksit Goa, Viksit Bharat.” He said the country is today marching towards fulfilling the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. He also spoke about the works taken up by the government under the Swayampurna Goa initiative.
Besides Sawant, Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shripad Naik, Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai and other dignitaries paid rich tributes to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on the occasion.
The event was organised by the government to commemorate the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
