South Goa MP Viriato Fernadnes interacting with officials and members of the public during his visit to the South Collectorate on Thursday.

Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar

MARGAO

South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Thursday said the District Mineral Fund should be utilized to boost infrastructure, including roads, drinking water supply, health and education, and also take care of the environment.

The MP has also batted for BSNL so that the benefit of mobile connectivity reaches to the last person in the remote areas.

The MP had a meeting with officials of the DMF during his visit to the South Goa district Collectorate on Thursday, wherein he was briefed on the schemes that can be implemented through  the Mineral fund.

Captain Viriato underscored the need to utilize the DMF for the benefit of the affected people in the mining area so that the last person in these areas get the benefit of the schemes.

He made a special mention of improving road infrastructure in the remote areas of the district to provide access to the people for heath, education etc. “We have found out during our election campaign that there are areas which are not accessible by road as a result of which children cannot go to schools and the elderly to the town. We have to explore the possibility of utilizing the DMF for road infrastructure in these remote villages”, he said.

Saying that the South Goa district hospital is located kilometres away from the mining affected areas, the MP said that the DMF should be spent on upgradation of the community health centres in these talukas so that the mining affected people need not come at the district hospital.

Meanwhile, the MP had a meeting with a delegation of BSNL officials as they briefed him on the mobile connectivity in the district. When the MP questioned the delegation over fears of radiation prevailing amongst citizens, the officials maintained that radiation from mobile phones is less  than radiation caused by electricity.

‘No compromise 

on Mhadei’

South Goa Congress MP on Thursday sent a message loud and clear that the interests of Goa cannot be compromise on Mhadei irrespective whether Karnataka is ruled by a Congress or BJP government.

Saying that Mhadei is the lifeline of Goa, Captain Viriato maintained that Mhadei needs to be protected at all costs not for the present generation but for posterity.  “Our stand should clear, that there will be no compromise on Mhadei come what may. We are not concerned whether Karnakata is being ruled by the Congress or BJP. We have to go all out to protect the interests of Goa and Goans. We have to protect Mhadei for the future generations”, he asserted.