Goa: People of Porvorim will decide on what they need, says Rohan Khaunte

PANAJI: Reacting to the panchayats minister Mauvin Godinho’s suggestion to develop Porvorim as New Panaji, the constituency’s independent MLA Rohan Khaunte said the people of Porvorim have the right to decide what they need.
“The minister has spoken his mind, but the intent must be given by the people as far as Porvorim is concerned,” Khaunte said.
He said that Porvorim is a mix of urban and rural and therefore, the expenditures and revenues are much different compared to others.
Former state information commissioner (SIC) Juino De Souza has said it is high time that Porvorim be declared as the capital of Goa as all important institutions, including the assembly complex, are situated there and especially since the capital city Panaji “has reached saturation point.”
Dsouza was instrumental in arguing before the full delimitation commission headed by chairman Justice Kuldip Singh (retd Supreme Court judge) at its public hearing to retain the name of the constituency as Porvorim, which was being proposed to be changed to Penha de Franca.
De Souza said he had also opposed annexing of Porvorim to the Panaji municipality-CCP and the protests had resulted in a Porvorim bandh with the state government subsequently dropping the idea of annexation.