A delegation led by Goa CM Pramod Sawant met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and five other Union ministers in Delhi on Monday. The delegation discussed the inclusion of the Gauli-Dhangar community in Goa among Scheduled Tribes (ST) with Shah and Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda. "In a detailed discussion, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs is convinced and assured to include Gauli-Dhangar community in ST category," a Goa government official said. The Goa delegation included Sawant, Deputy CM Chandrakant Kavlekar, who belongs to the Dhangar community, Goa Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar, Rajya Sabha MP S Vinay Tendulkar, Social Welfare Minister Milind Naik, PWD Minister Deepak Prabhu Pauskar, Goa Chief Secretary Parimal Rai, special advisor consultant for social welfare department, Goa N D Agarwal and Dhangar community members. "The positive stand taken by the Home Minister will smoothen the future process of getting Dhangar community of Goa its much deserving ST status," said Kavlekar. The delegation led by Sawant had a meeting with Registrar General of India (RGI) Vivek Joshi. The Goa government on Monday also signed an MoU with the Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited in the presence of Sawant and Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi to assess the mineral resources in Goa by conducting geo-scientific exploration and to establish the state's mineral inventory, the state government said in a statement. Sawant met Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to discuss environmental issues. He also discussed the implementation of Bharat Net Fiber project in Goa with Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
