Will form minorities commission: CM

PORVORIM: Goa’s chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar promised at the Goa legislative assembly on Friday to set up a state minorities commission. He also assured to reconstitute the house committee.
Parsekar made the statement on the concluding day of the monsoon session on Friday, after independent legislator Rohan Khaunte moved a private member’s resolution, asking the government to constitute a separate minorities commission for Goa.
Parsekar requested the Porvorim MLA to withdraw the resolution as a bill, proposing to form the minorities commission, was already referred to the select committee. The bill was tabled in the Goa legislative assembly in August 2012 by then chief minister Manohar Parrikar and was referred to the select committee. But no meeting was convened.
Parsekar declared that the select committee would be reconstituted under his chairmanship and meetings will be held. Supporting the resolution, Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho said, “Goa should have the minorities commission as minorities will get funds from the centre. I don’t think that should be a problem.”
Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco spoke in support of the resolution. The Porvorim MLA said there was no harm in accepting his resolution with no objection raised by other members of the house.
“We will do it,” Parsekar said, adding that Goa is a progressive state. It has 14 MLAs elected from the minority communities, he said. The resolution was withdrawn following assurance by the chief minister.