Amid challenges, seize opportunities of new economy: VP to Goa

All these requirehighly skilled manpower and Goa needs to build in quick time,the vice president told the gathering.Goa is the smallest state in terms of area and fourthsmallest in terms of population.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu onSaturday addressed a Goa Legislators' Day event where he saidtourism and mining are big drivers of the coastal state and itneeded to make efforts to ensure challenges on these frontsare met.

He said limited availability of land, mountingecological concerns and mining reaching saturation levels wereobstacles in further industrial development of Goa, addingthat it would have to ''look for diversification of its growthengines''.

''It has to seize the opportunities being offered bythe new economy in the domains of information technology, bio-technology, start-up entrepreneurship etc. All these requirehighly skilled manpower and Goa needs to build in quick time,''the vice president told the gathering.

''Goa is the smallest state in terms of area and fourthsmallest in terms of population. I am glad to note that thestate is a front-runner in the march of development withhighest per capita income and best human development index.

Goa is also the most urbanised state with over 62 per centpeople living in towns and cities,'' he said.

The vice president also spoke about politicalinstability that dogged the state earlier.

''Since the first elections in 1963 after liberation,Goa has had as many as 30 governments in the last 57 years.

Eleven of these 30 governments had tenure of less than oneyear, ranging from six days to 334 days. Another threegovernments had tenures of less than two years,'' he said.

''Only three governments had a full five year tenure.

The state was placed under President's Rule five times, for atotal of 639 days, which is about two years,'' he added.

He said while change of governments mid-course forgenuine and compelling reasons is democratically sanctioned,frequent changes raises the issue of political stability andthe ability of governments to deliver.

He said such changes result in ''negative perceptions'',and asked the gathering if the state would have prospered evenmore if it had greater political stability.

Naidu was addressing the Goa Legislators' Day event atPorvorim near here in the presence of Governor B S Koshyari,Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Assembly Speaker RajeshPatnekar among others.