Daijiworld Media Network

Panaji, Sep 29: Goa government on Saturday said that considering their past linkage with the Portugal, the former is looking at latter for Portuguse model of development.

State Public Works Department minister Sudin Dhavalikar made this statement after signing MoU with Portugal in the field of Water Supply, Waste Water Management and Sanitation in the Indian state.

Portugal’s Environment Minister Joao Pedro de Matos Fernandes represented the western country during the signing of MoU in Panaji on Saturday morning.

“Goa is proud to have understanding between Portugal and Goa because, prior to liberation of the state in the year 1961, Portugal was ruling in Goa and they that time, they had implemented lot of developmental issues,” said Dhavalikar.

“Now considering all this, we can definitely think over, in future, regarding development of Goa based on Portugal basis (model),” he said talking to reporters.

Interestingly, in January 2017 when Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa had visited India, Dhavalikar on the floor of the House had demanded that he (PM) should apologise for the oppressive 450-year-long colonial rule in Goa.

Dhavalikar told reporters today that today he was discussing with Fernandes about Portuguese-era Houses in Goa which are in dilapidated condition because some of the people who are living in Potugal have not come back to maintain them.

“It is our duty of government of Goa to take help of Portugal and implement some of the good things in the Indian state,” he said.

speaking about the MoU, Dhavalikar said that he presume and is confident to see new opportunities and possibility of collaboration with Portugal in the key areas.

“Indeed, it is a significant move to work in collaboration to develop common initiatives for water supply and waste water management in the State of Goa,” he said.

“It is needless to point out that we have agreed and desired to implement the project of assessment of existing water supply at Opa project in North Goa. The work will also be done on Sewage Water Treatment Plant on pilot basis in Valpoi town in North Goa and also removal of manganese in Selaulim Reservoir apart from capacity building,” Dhavalikar said.

The minister said that it the endure of Goa government to develop modern infrastructure under sustainable development. “Signing of the MOU at this juncture is nothing but a consolidation of true partnership and we should not miss out this opportunity for sustainable development,” he said.

The minister said that the MoU is for a period of two years. “I have also agreed to visit to Portugal along with my team to work together for beneficial of both the countries,” he said.

Portugal’s Environment minister Fernandes said, “It is more than an MOU in the way that there are very specific issues which are already specified in this memorandum. We are going to work on five specific issues.”

Recalling Prime Minister of Portugal’s visit to the country in January 2017, Fernandes said that “Portugal is committed to work on various issues with India.”

Both the prime ministers – Portugal and India had identified water and waste management as some of the priority issues for bilateral cooperation, in fact these are the sector to reinforce out co-operation both of the countries have strong institutional set up.

The Portuguese minister said that his country has nothing to teach but to share things with India.

Referring to the past, the minister said that Portugal around 20 years back had “exactly the same problems that of Goa is facing today in the field of water supply, waste water management and sanitation.”

“In these 20 years Portugal is very proud of what we have done in our country. We invested about 10 billion Euros in last 20-25 years,” he said.

Fernandes said that in the field of waste water treatment, 20 years ago, only 60 beaches in Portugal had perfect water for swimming and now they are more than 330.

He said that the problems between Portugal and India may be similar but the solutions differ. “I can give you a personal commitment that Portugal will do all the best o serve the goals of MOU,” he assured.

Fernandes said that MoU is just a beginning of work between both the countries.