Felicitates iconic Goan brands on 39th Statehood Day
Panaji: Calling upon every Goan, especially the youth, to contribute towards the state’s progress by 2037, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said we can make ‘Goem Viksit’ if we put in extra effort.
Speaking during the 39th Goa Statehood Day celebration held at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir in Kala Academy, Sawant said Goa is witnessing huge progress on the principles of ‘Virasat Aur Vikas’ (heritage and development), which, he said, are transforming the state by leaps and bounds. Stating
that his government is guided by the principles of Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said it is working on making Goa ‘Swayampurna’ or self-sufficient.
Remembering all the freedom fighters and those who have contributed to the state’s development, Sawant spoke about the significance of historic events like the Opinion Poll and the language struggle, which, he said, have helped give Goa its unique identity.
Iconic brands of Goa were felicitated on the occasion for their contribution towards the economic growth of the state and for preserving the Goan identity. These included Big Foot, Loutolim; Café Tato, Panaji; Gomant Vidya Niketan, Margao; John Distilleries, Cuncolim; Zantye Cashew, Bicholim; Dangui Opticians, Mapusa; Mauzo Photo Studio and Dr Carmo Gracias Hospital, Margao; Titos, Baga and Sagar Naik Mule, Ponda.
On the occasion, Goa was declared a fully literate state under ULLHAS New India Literacy programme. The announcement was made by Joint Secretary, Education, Ministry of Education, Archana Awasthi. Calling it a historic milestone for the state, she said the achievement reflects the state’s long-standing commitment to inclusive development and education and is an example to the rest of the country.
The Chief Minister also felicitated officers and Swayampurna Mitras on the occasion. Swayampurna village panchayat of Taleigao, Tiswadi (North Goa) and village panchayat of Bandora, Ponda (South Goa) were felicitated.
Bhasha Puraskar awards of the Directorate of Official Language were also given on the occasion. The ‘Bhasha Puraskar Yojana’ is a scheme for individuals who have worked for the upliftment of Konkani and Marathi languages.
The ‘Dnyanpeeth Ravindra Kelekar Konkani Bhasha Puraskar’ was awarded to Manikrao Ram Nayak Gaunekar for 2022-23, while for 2023-24, the award went to Suresh Ramchandra Pai and for the year 2024-25, it was awarded to Bhiku Bomi Naik. The ‘B D Satoskar Marathi Bhasha Puraskar’ was awarded to Shambhu Bhau Bandekar for the year 2022-23, while 2023-24 the award went to Anil Gajanan Samant and for 2024-25, the award was given to Ramesh D Onskar.
A web series ‘Bharat Hai Hum’ of the Department of Archives was also launched on the occasion. Three books – ‘Temples of Goa’, ‘Gomantkiya Durganchya Vatevar’ and ‘Vikas Path: Goa’s Journey of Reform and Renewal’ – were also released.
Those present at the function included Minister for Fisheries Nilkanth Halarnkar, Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gaude, Minister for Labour, Revenue and Waste Management Atanasio Monserrate, Minister for Tourism Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Water Resources Subhash Shirodkar, Minister for Power Ramakrishna Dhavalikar, Deputy Speaker Joshua de Souza, Chief Secretary Dr V Candavelou, IAS and Advocate General Devidas Pangam.
Earlier, Minister for Protocol Mauvin Godinho, in his welcome address, said that in the last ten years, Goa has progressed tremendously. At the same time, he said, the state receives a lot of criticism, which comes along when a lot of work is carried out. He also claimed that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has talented ministers in his cabinet.
