Manohar Parrikar to present Goa budget on January 30

PANAJI: Ailing chief minister Manohar Parrikar will present the state budget on January 30, two days before the Union Budget.

At the business advisory committee meeting, on Monday, which was chaired by Parrikar, it was decided that the chief minister, who holds the finance portfolio will present the budget on January 30, the second day of the three-day state assembly session.

Sources said the government will go for a vote on account on January 31.

The last time Parrikar participated in the assembly proceedings was during the monsoon session in July 2018. He was diagnosed with pancreatic ailment in February 2018, but a few weeks later, he came down from Mumbai hospital and presented the state budget.

The three-day session has been convened on January 29 as a session had to be called within six months of the last one, which ended in early August 2018.

Government may introduce GST amendment bill at session

The government is likely introduce three government bills — the Goa Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Bill 2019, the Goa Goods and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2019 and the Goa Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2019.

On January 29, the session will start with the governor’s address. On January 30, there would be presentation, discussion and voting on supplementary demands for grants (second batch) 2018-19. Introduction, consideration and passing of the Goa Appropriation Bill, 2019 (relating to supplementary demands for grants (second batch) 2018-19, introduction, consideration and passing of the government bills of any and presentation of annual financial statement for the year 2019-20 (budget).

On January 31, there would be introduction, consideration and passing of the government bills if any and presentation and voting on “vote-on-account” along with introduction and passing of the Goa Appropriation Bill 2019.