Times News NetworkPanaji: Goa govt honoured a family member of freedom fighter Baburao Thorat from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, with Rs 10 lakh monetary assistance on Thursday, in recognition of Thorat laying down his life in a satyagraha against the Portuguese regime in 1945. After presenting the assistance at the state Revolution Day event, chief minister Pramod Sawant said the state is working to make Goa the tourism capital of the country.He said Goa has not forgotten its freedom fighters and has handed 27 govt job appointment letters to the children of freedom fighters. He said letters in the remaining 40 cases will be handed within the next year to the children of freedom fighters.Paying tributes to the contribution of Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr Juliao Menezes, who ignited the spark for Goa Revolution Day, and other freedom fighters and martyrs, the CM said that the sacrifices of the freedom fighters have not gone in vain.He said Goa govt is working to provide the best facilities in various sectors. He also said that changes are being made in the education sector with future requirements in mind, and that Goa is moving towards multidisciplinary education.“Goa is known for tourism. We are working to grow sustainable tourism, eco-tourism, heritage tourism, wellness tourism, and hinterland tourism in a big way. We want Goa to be the tourism capital of the world and are working to develop the infrastructure required for it. We have also started working in a big way to develop the human resource required for it,” said Sawant.Rohit Tilak, a fifth generation member of Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s family, was also felicitated on the occasion.Sawant said that the Patradevi memorial will be ready within a few days. “The sacrifices of 33 freedom fighters who had come from across India to the Goa border (for the satyagraha in 1945) will be remembered for generations to come through the upgraded memorial. The names of all freedom fighters from across Goa will also be part of the memorial,” he said.
