Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (SP)
Report by Rubiya Shaik

Panaji, Aug 26 : Chief minister Digamber Kamat plans to lead an all party delegation to Delhi, to press hard for conferring special status on Goa state, with the centre.
 
"I will lead the all party delegation to the prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and finance minister P Chidambaram, requesting for according special status to Goa," Kamat told reporters at the sidelines of the Institute of chartered accounts of India (ICAI) conference in south Goa today.

The Goan government should have asked for the special status long back, in view of the fact that states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal had moved for the same, he said.

The chief minister's statement comes ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to move a resolution during the ongoing state legislative assembly session, requesting the centre for special status.
 
Kamat said, that he will visit Delhi with the assignment only after the assembly session concludes. Goa legislative assembly session, which commenced on August 18, will conclude on August 29.

The chief minister said, that the state has been badly hit after Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal were granted the special status. "Industries are reluctant to come to Goa, as they prefer HP and Uttaranchal as their destination," he added.

While leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar earlier this fortnight, had said that his party would seek special status, providing for control of lands in the state to the locals, the chief minister refused to comment on the same.

"Once special status is conferred, we can only ban the sale of agricultural land," he commented, refraining from elaborating further.

Goa, a tiny state on the western coast, has been witnessing agitations seeking to protect its land mass from being increasingly diverted to the industrial or residential use under the guise of development.