Goa assembly approves Rs 19,548 crore budget

PORVORIM: The Goa assembly on Friday passed the Goa Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2019 earmarking Rs 19,548 crore as grants to the government for the financial year 2019-2020. On January 30, the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar had presented the budget and had taken a vote on account.
During the passing of the appropriation bill, chief minister Pramod Sawant said that members of the 15th finance commission were due to visit the state this month and that he would take all MLAs and stakeholders into confidence before he decides on demands to be put before the commission.
“We will ask for the maximum share from the 15th finance commission,” the chief minister said.
The leader of the opposition Digambar Kamat urged the government to control wasteful expenditure.
The assembly also passed the Goa appropriation (No 3) bill 2019 enmarking Rs 976 crore as supplementary grants in the first batch.
The charges on the consolidated fund of the State for which the bill was approved will include Rs 20 crore for environment, Rs 114 crore for sports , Rs 301 crore for municipal administration, Rs 20 crore for forests, Rs 116 crore for Goa Medical College, Rs 125 crore for science and technology, Rs 17 crore for power , among others.
During the passing of the bill, Kamat said that the amount that has been asked for was quite huge. “I know the situation of the state. I understand what sorts of arrangements one has to make to strike a balance, considering that the state is passing through a critical financial crisis,” the opposition leader said.
Reiterating his stand on the states ‘wasteful expenditure’, Kamat said, “If the finance department continues down this path of wasting funds, it would be very difficult for the government to manage the state financially and it will cause all sorts of of problems — for instance, in the timely release of funds to run schemes.”
Kamat quipped that the chief minister would have to become to become ‘Shukracharya’ (Guru of demons) to manage Goa’s finances. “The state is now surviving only because of revenue from GST and the casinos. The excise department generates a revenue of Rs 400 crore. When the state is struggling with finances, it is the responsibility of the deputy of finance minister to check. The CM will have to become Zaditlo Shukracharya to check where these funds go, how it goes, and where you raise the funds from,” he said.
Kamat added that interacting with the 15th finance commission was not the responsibility of the government alone, but it was pertinent that the opposition joined hands with the government to procure maximum funds from the centre.
“I don’t want you to simply make huge demands. Let us raise genuine requirements for these funds, which the15th finance commission will find it difficult to refuse,” Kamat said.
Replying to the main concerns raised by the leader of the opposition, CM Sawant said that the department was not doing wasteful expenditure, but perhaps spending in excess in the interest of the state.