Mumbai's model of handling the coronavirus pandemic has been lauded by one and all. BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chhal has amassed a lot of praises for how he managed to keep the city together and helped in breaking the chain of the virus.
On Monday, Goa's Panchayati Raj Minister Mauvin Godinho also praised the model. He further went on to add that the Mumbai-Navi Mumbai urban model should be adopted in Goa's Panaji and its rapidly expanding suburb of Porvorim, which has become the de facto seat of power in the state.
"I have always thought that Porvorim is an extension of Panaji. The Assembly is here. The High Court is close by. Which government offices aren't here. Three (more) government offices will be shifted here. When I was in government under another chief minister, I suggested to him that like Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, this could be a new Panaji," Godinho said at a state Housing Board function organised in Porvorim, Godinho, in presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
"It is part and parcel of our state. In reality, it has the seat of power, Assembly, High Court... All government offices are shifting here. The manner in which Porvorim is expanding, it would be in the fitness of things," Godinho added further.
Porvorim is situated across the Mandovi river from Panaji. It is one of the state's biggest urban clusters and outnumbers the state capital in terms of population.
Goa was among the states that were impacted in a severe manner during the second wave. Reports in May had claimed that as many as 75 people had died in the state due to oxygen shortage. However, later the minister did a complete u-turn and claimed that there was no death due to oxygen shortage.