Committed to doubling farmers' income by 2022: Goa Governor

Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, in her address on the first day of the Budget session of the state Assembly today, said the state government is committed to doubling the income of farmers by 2022.
Sinha, on arrival for the session, was received by Speaker Pramod Sawant andsenior minister and MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar, in the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who has been hospitalised in Mumbai due to a pancreatic ailment.
"The commitment of my government is doubling the real income of farmers by 2022 which is one of the targets of sustainable development goals of the state," Sinha said.

To achieve it, the government is making efforts to identify wastelands and utilise them for cooperative farming by providing technology, modern equipment and subsidies, the governor said.
Mapping of fallow lands in the state has been completed and the government is examining how they could be put to use, she said.
To boost demand for local products, the government is encouraging the youth to establish food parks as part of the start-up program, the governor said.

The state has been generating employment opportunities under the Chief Minister's Rojagar Yojna, under which Rs 13,000 crore have been sanctioned to young entrepreneurs for various ventures, she said.

The governor expressed concern over fatalities in road accidents. "It is the utmost concern of my government that more than 300 people lose their lives in road accidents each year, besides more than 1,000 get injured," she said, adding that the government has taken steps to prevent such deaths.
The crime rate has fallen while the detection rate has increased in the state, Sinha stated.
She also mentioned the coastal security cover exercise 'Sagar Kavach' and successful hosting of U-17 FIFA World Cup without any security issues as instances of excellent policing in the state.
For ensuring food security, "the National Food Security Act has been strictly enforced and 5.43 lakh deserving population has been covered," she said.

To curtail leakages in the public distribution system, the department of civil supplies is in the process of installing Point of Sale devices at all fair price shops, Sinha noted.
The government is giving "highest priority" to improving the female sex ratio at birth by monitoring the implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, she said.
The government is committed to make Goa an Open Defecation-Free state by October 2, 2018, she added.
"As a part of the Swachh Bharat mission, my government has constructed around 130 community toilets and 15 public toilets in different urban local bodies," she added.