PONDA: Former Ponda MLA Joildo Souza Aguiar, who had held several ministerial portfolios, died on Wednesday morning due to old age, at his Tisk-Ponda residence. He was 85.
Aguiar had headed agriculture, information, tourism, social welfare, public assistance ministries and provedoria in early 80s.
The requiem Mass will be held at 4pm at Mount Carmel Chapel at Sadar Ponda on Thursday, followed by the burial at St Anne’s Church Cemetery.
Aguiar, the only son among seven siblings, started his career as a teacher at the government school in Morjim village of Pernem taluka. He was later appointed as Correios (as the postmaster was called then). He had to give up the position after a tenure of five years, as he had to assume the responsibilities of the vast family estate due to the untimely demise of his father.
Spurred by his zeal for social work, Aguiar contested the election for the Ponda Municipal Council in 1970 and won unopposed. He was subsequently elected unopposed as the first president of the Ponda Municipal Council and served from 1970 to 1976. During his presidency, new roads were laid at Khadapabandh, Durgabhat and Varkhandem.
Aguiar’s commitment to promote education prompted him to construct primary school buildings at Khadapabandh, Varkhandem, Durgabhat, Haveli-Curti and Yeshwantnagar-Tisk.
In 1980, he was elected as an MLA on the Congress ticket from Ponda and appointed as a minister in the Pratapsingh Rane cabinet.
The first football ground at Ponda was Aguiar’s brainchild. An avid sportsman himself, he encouraged volleyball and football and was also elected the president of Jawahar Club, Ponda.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant tweeted his condolences, “Saddened to learn about the demise of former minister Joilda Souza Aguiar.” Leader of the opposition Yuri Alemao also tweeted his condolences to the family.