Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (TNN)

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar , who is undergoing treatment in the US, today greeted Goans on the statehood day and hailed the developmental projects undertaken by the Centre in the coastal state.

The Goa Statehood Day is celebrated every year on May 30.

"I wish all Goans on the occasion of the 31st Goa Statehood Day. The state has witnessed development during the last 31 years," Parrikar said in a video message in Konkani which was released by his office this morning.

"During the last four years, several developmental works have been initiated in Goa by the Narendra Modi-led government (at the Centre)," he said referring to the infrastructural projects going on in the state.

The works to build the third Mandovi bridge (near Panaji ) and the Galjibag-Tolpon bridge (near Canacona in South Goa ) are inching closer to completion while the construction of Zuari bridge is going on in full-swing, he mentioned.

He said the state has witnessed development in the social sector due to various schemes. The state government is committed towards creating employment in the information technology and industrial sectors, the chief minister said.

"We intend to continue the pace of development witnessed by the state in the last 31 years, for which we would require the cooperation of people, which is very important," he added.

The country's smallest state attained statehood on May 30, 1987 changing its earlier status as the Union Territory along with Daman and Diu. Parrikar, 62, has been in USA since the first week of March for the treatment of a pancreatic ailment.

He will return home by the end of June, state Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said yesterday. Dhavalikar, a senior minister, is part of a three-member Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC) that was formed to run the government in Parrikar's absence.

Francis D'Souza of the BJP and Vijai Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party are its other two members.

