* Presents Rs 669.46 cr revenue surplus budget *Loans to IT start-ups sans guarantor
Panaji: Imposing no new taxes on Goans, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday presented a `669.46 crore revenue surplus ‘Bhivpachi garaz na’ state budget for the financial year 2023-24, with the gross budget size estimated at `26,844.40 crore as against `24,467.40 crore for the fiscal year 2022-23.
There is a rise of 9.17% over these estimates in the year 2022-23.
The focus of the annual financial statement is on health, infrastructure and skill development sectors, with 18% hike in the budgetary allocation to the health sector.
The fiscal deficit of the annual financial statement is `4,183.10 crore.
Earlier, Sawant chaired a special cabinet meeting, which cleared the annual financial statement for Goa, for the next financial year.
Beginning his over two hour-long budget speech, the Chief Minister said the total receipts projected are showing a growth of 12.53% over 2022-23.
“Due to the discontinuation of GST compensation, the state will see a revenue deficit of approximately `800 crore through grants from the central government,” he added, pointing out, “This void will be majorly filled by revenue collection from the initiatives taken by the government for restarting of mining activities in the state and increase in share of Goa in central taxes. The mining activities will initially start through the medium of mining dumps.
“I also expect to receive the second instalment of grant of `150 crore of Goa @ 60 from the central government during the financial year 2023-24,” he added.
In the health sector, there is an increase in the allocation from `1,970.20 crore during the financial year 2021-22 to `2,324.65 crore, this financial year. The budget has allocated `172.19 crore for the expansion of resources in the Goa Medical College. It also proposes to construct a new blood bank block for which `10 crore has been proposed, while another proposal to construct Respiratory Medicine Hospital (TB and Chest) at the Goa Medical College has a provision of `157.30 crore.
Furthermore, nursing colleges in both districts of the state and a medical college and ICU at the South Goa District Hospital have been proposed, besides setting up of the cancer hospital on fast-track basis, in tie-up with the Tata Hospital.
On the infrastructural front, the government will lay the foundation stone for the tallest building ‘Prashasan Sthambh’, at Patto Plaza, which would house majority of the government offices and other professional associations, scattered all across Panaji and nearby areas, under one roof. Similarly, foundation stone for the new Collectorate, North Building would be laid, this year.
The Chief Minister, in his budget speech, stated that `15,000 crore worth National Highway projects have been approved by the Centre during the year 2022-23, and the state government was sanctioned `2,228.78 crore under National Highways including `600 crore for construction of six lane elevated corridor in Porvorim, including approaches, and `200 crore for four-laning of NH-66 (Karmal Ghat).
In the area of skill development, the government will provide initial capital to the IT start-ups in the state. Loans will be extended to such start-ups through the Chief Minister’s Rozgar Yojana scheme without any requirement of government guarantor as currently required under the scheme. In order to promote more entrepreneurs at the village level, for setting up Common Service Centres in line with the central scheme for the same, the government has proposed to provide a collateral-free term loan at nominal interest rates through Economic Development Corporation and such village level entrepreneurs would be incentivised, based on the number of transactions carried out by them.
The government has made a provision of `7.50 crore for its ‘Swayampurna Goa 2.0’ programme, including `2.5 crore for setting up of Swayampurna Goa Board, which will give training at the village level for imparting various skills.
A 100 MLD plant at Selaulim at a cost of `367 crore has been proposed in the annual financial statement to satisfy the need of potable water in South Goa, while three new projects have been proposed by the government in the Mhadei basin to cater to the irrigation and drinking water needs of the people of Goa.
The Chief Minister also announced the re-launch of Electric Vehicle subsidy scheme with a provision of `25 crore, and revival of ‘Mukhyamantri Devdarshan’ Scheme with a total provision of `10 crore.
Furthermore, the document verification of vehicles coming from other states, at the border has been proposed, with unique sticker to be placed on these vehicles. “These vehicles should not be stopped again and harassed for documents within the state of Goa,” he added.
Announcements were also made about setting up of the Goa State Youth Commission with a provision of `2 crore. Those Goan sportspersons receiving gold medal at the national or international level will get direct regular government job. The government has also earmarked `225 crore for the National Games, Goa, with budgetary increase to `75 crore for Sports and Youth Affairs.
Furthermore, honorarium of sarpanches and panch members has been increased, with honorarium to be credited at the end of each month. Zilla Bhavans will also be set up in both the districts. The Chief Minister also announced that grants allocation to panchayats would be made online, while grants to local municipalities have been increased by 26%, and allocation of `150 crore made for the smart city works.
The budget speech also informed about master plan for all urban local bodies, with the master plan currently underway for Mormugao, Mapusa and Ponda cities.
In the agriculture sector, coconut, cashew and rice support price has been increased; support price for coconut increased from `12 to `15, support price for cashew increased from `125 to 150 and support price for rice hiked from `20 to `22. The Kamdhenu scheme will also be revisited.
The Chief Minister further said that along with cow’s milk, cow urine and cow dung are also very important. “We have decided to implement the Chief Minister Godhan Yojana to encourage products made from cow urine and cow dung,” he noted.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister said the government has decided to implement the Chief Minister’s Dashboard, this year, with the aim of streamlining administration by using modern technology and resources. “This system will enable me to have a consolidated review of the entire administration,” he added.
The government will also formulate Advertisement Policy and Entertainment Policy. The Entertainment Society of Goa will be in charge of the Entertainment Policy to streamline the entertainment events taking place in Goa, while the department of information and publicity would handle the Advertisement Policy to look after the advertisements.
The government, under the Goa State Journalists Welfare Scheme, has increased the pension amount for retired journalists to `10,000, while announced a scheme as regards providing e-bikes to journalists. The government also announced setting up of Patrakar Bhavan in the government administrative building.
For various infrastructure works and other activities for smooth conduct of the G-20 meetings, the government has earmarked a total budget of `300 crore across various departments. For hosting other prestigious international events such as Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet etc, a provision of `15 crore has also been made.
Finally, in order to promote the heritage drink, Feni, the government has written to the Embassies of some foreign countries with a request to popularise and import Feni in their countries. It has further requested the other Indian states to recognise Goan Feni as ‘country liquor’ in their excise policies so that the levy of excise duty in their states will be at par with ‘country liquor’ and not IMFL.
Furthermore, in order to promote high-end foreign liquor sale in Goa, the budget has proposed to reduce the excise duty on high-end liquor and marginally increase the duty on other categories of IMFL to shore up revenues.
Goa budget 2023-24 highlights
Allocation to health sector increased to `2,324.65 crore
*233.49 crore for medicines and other consumables
*172.19 crore for GMC infrastructure, `10 crore for blood bank block
*65 crore for DDSSY. Directorate of health services outlay is `1,045.64 crore
Nursing colleges in both districts. Medical College and ICU at S. Goa District Hospital
Allocation for PWD at `2,687.5 crore
*2.50 crore allocated per assembly constituency under MLA-LAD scheme
*1,000 crore for improvement of riding quality surface
Unified app proposed for all govt services
Minimum 100 litres per capita per day water in rural areas and 150 lpcd water in urban areas
Proposal to introduce caravan tours to encourage tourists to explore hinterlands
Eco-cottages to be established at Anjunem in Sattari
*4,169 crore sanctioned by Centre for development of Basilica of Bom Jesus and other monuments
*250 crore for construction of Salvador Do Mundo-Chodan bridge
Projects worth `1,000 crore to be sanctioned through SIDBI
Total online solution to ensure transparent and timely disbursal of subsidies
Allocation to power dept is `3,856.36 crore, an increase of 21.98%
EV subsidy scheme to be re-launched.
Provision of
*5 crore to be made 10,000 green jobs for Goan youth in next 5 years
3 new reservoir projects proposed in Mhadei basin at Nirankal, Cajumol and Tatodi
*25 crore for desilting of River Sal in the second phase. Damaged embankment will be restored at an estimated cost of `22.38 crore
Provision of `25 crore for taking private buses on board with KTCL
*31.92 crore kept for purchase of new buses
Allocation for river navigation dept is `153.19 crore
*2 crore for setting Goa State Youth Commission
Increase in honorarium provided to sarpanches, deputy sarpanches and panches
*16 crore for Zilla Panchayats
GIS-based survey of all properties managed by urban local bodies
Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for micro and small enterprises to be increased up to a maximum of 95%
Production-linked incentives of `3 crore for cow milk, urine and cow dung-based products
*1,000 crore revenue expected from mining
All govt offices to go paperless with introduction of ‘e-Office’ software
Fibre network across Goa at a cost of `725 crore
Goa industrial growth and investment promotion policy aims to generate 30,000 jobs and 20,000 crore investment
*4 crore to prevent soil erosion
5 ITIs to be upgraded at a total cost of `209.72 crore
New rules for casino operation in the state
Free seeds of nachne and one-time assistance of `20,000 per hectare to farmers
Capital outlay of `60.57 crore for development of fishing infrastructure
Shrimp and fish fin hatchery at Benaulim
Separate department of empowerment of persons with disabilities to be set up Ambedkar Bhawan at Porvorim
Education sector has been given an outlay of Rs. 4,323.98 crore Under Balrath scheme, grants to be released per bus proposed to be increased from.3.66 lakh to 4.17 lakh
For upgradation and renovation of existing schools, a provision of `99.30 crore has been made
Green ration card to be issued for identification purpose
E-waste management facility at Pissurlem at a cost of `7 crore to be completed by December
Advertisement policy to be formulated
E-bikes for journalists
*315 crore for G20 and SCO meet