Goa budget planned without considering people's aspirations: Oppn

Panaji, Mar 27 (PTI) Opposition parties in Goa have claimed the state budget has been planned without taking into account the aspirations of the people.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday presented a revenue surplus budget in the state assembly, providing tax incentives for tourism entrepreneurs setting up starred hotels in rural areas and full SGST reimbursement for the first 5 years for industries investing more than Rs 5,000 crore.

The budget projected GSDP at current prices for 2025-26 at Rs 1,38,624.86 crore with a growth rate of 14.27 per cent. It projected Goa's per capita income of Rs 9.69 lakh, portraying a robust and healthy economy.

Sawant, who holds the finance portfolio, said industries/organisations investing more than Rs 5,000 crore in Goa will get various incentives such as full SGST reimbursement for five years.

He also announced a 50 per cent waiver in stamp duty and registration charges and subsidies on the supply of various amenities for five years besides other benefits.

With a special focus on the tourism sector, the chief minister said the state government will provide infrastructure support such as electricity, water and sewerage connections through a single-window mechanism.

The chief minister also tabled the Action Taken Report on the last budget.

Reacting to the budget, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao claimed the Sawant government has failed to fulfil the people's aspirations.

"The action taken report says an observatory tower with viewing galleries on the New Zuari bridge is completed, which is absolutely wrong," he said.

It was a "mere window dressing to hide the failures," the Congress leader claimed.

Alemao said in the capital expenditure, there is a substantial gap between the budget estimates and the revised estimates in major projects.

Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai alleged figures in the budget were fudged and misleading.

While the government was claiming a GSDP growth of 14.27 per cent, the actual growth was only 9.9 per cent as per central figures, he said.

On the state receiving Rs 1,520 crore as a special assistance from the Centre, Sardesai said the amount was not a grant but a loan that has to be repaid.

"Once this figure of Rs 1,520 crore is deleted from the equation, the budget goes into deficit," he commented.

He also claimed the government falsely claimed the Zuari Observatory work is complete, and questioned its silence on public infrastructure projects like the Margao bus stand.

On heritage conservation, Sardesai claimed the government's announcement to paint heritage buildings in Old Goa is superficial and meaningless without a proper master plan.

The preservation of Old Goa needs a comprehensive master plan, not a coat of paint, he added. PTI RPS GK

Source: PTI