Revenue surplus budget focuses on tourism infra, solar power, IT, skilling and jobs
Panaji: Imposing no new taxes on Goans, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday presented a ‘realistic’ `26,855.56 crore revenue surplus budget for the financial year 2024-25, as against `26,844 crore annual financial statement for the fiscal year 2023-24.
Sawant said the people-centric budget will focus on infrastructure development in tourism, IT and employment generation.
The Chief Minister stated that the annual financial statement is the first gender budget statement of the state, which has at least 30% of the budgetary allocation to the 13 departments to be exclusively used for women.
“We will continue this trend in the future budgets for women-related development,” he added, promising Viksit Goa on line with Viksit Bharat.
Analysts said ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the government has tried to keep government employees in good humour by relaunching housing loan scheme and also scheduled tribes by announcing a housing scheme.
The revenue expenditure is `20,000 crore, while the capital expenditure is `6,855 crore.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, during his two-hour-long budget presentation, informed the state legislative assembly that the budget has revenue surplus of `1,720.19 crore, and fiscal deficit of `3,149 crore.
Sawant said the per capita income of Goa is `6.75 lakh and the government targets to take it up to `7.64 lakh.
The House was informed that Goa has received special financial assistance of `750 crore from the Centre last year and financial assistance of `1,506 crore is expected from the central government, during the next financial year.
Earlier, Sawant chaired a special cabinet meeting, which cleared the annual financial statement.
The budget did not impose any new tax on Goans. However, it came out with some measures to generate additional revenue for the state exchequer.
The tax proposals part in the budget stated that the government will increase the revenue receipts by way of vigorous plugging of leakages.
Sawant said that service fees of less than `20, which are charged in government departments, would be hiked minimally.
He also said that a number of leave and licence agreements have expired or are due for expiry, due to which government has stopped receiving revenue.
“Therefore we have decided to prepared guidelines for such agreements,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that there would also be a hike in the land revenue fees, conversion fees and town and country planning department fees for commercial establishments, without burdening the common man.
It was further informed that many of the residential houses along the Goan beach belt are illegally used as hotels, homestays, restaurants, and the government will regularise – through change of use – such houses by way of onetime amnesty scheme, following payment of the fixed fees. The highest provision in the budget is made for the department of electricity standing at `3,999.10 crore.
The department of public works got `2,976.55 crore, which is a hike of 10.75% as compared to last fiscal year.
The total monetary allocation for the PWD includes provision of `1,600 crore for developmental works in all 40 constituencies. It was also informed that `895.98 crore worth electricity works would be undertaken in the state during the year 2024-25.
The new and renewable energy department has been allocated `62.94 crore, with 75% subsidy on rooftop solar plant for ST/SC communities, and free solar-powered pumps for these communities. Free solar streetlights would also be put up in areas resided by the particular communities.
The government has also made it mandatory for candidates seeking jobs the registration of their job profile with the Employment Exchange. The job experience of such candidates in the private sector would be considered at the time of their recruitment in government jobs.
The budget also informed that the construction of the `250 crore state-of-the-art ‘Prashasan Stambh’ is underway and would be completed in three years. This year, a provision of `30 crore has been made for the same.
The Chief Minister informed that a Bill as regards protection of Goan journalists has been forwarded to the President for her assent.
A new scheme called ‘Bharatkar Hegde Desai lekhsangrah Yojana’ has also been announced to publish collection of quality writings in newspapers, during the fiscal year, so as to facilitate citizens and researchers.
A new scheme under the department of art and culture, ‘Mukhyamantri Kala Vriddhi Sanman’ has been announced to annually felicitate 10 artists in the age group of 40 years to 60 years for their contribution to the field of art and culture.
The art and culture department has a budgetary allocation of `201.25 crore. An announcement was also made as regards construction of Ravindra Bhavan in Mapusa.
Three new schemes under the official language department were announced namely ‘Promotion and development of official language’ scheme, ‘Research and vocabulary generation’ and ‘Animation and documentation in Konkani language’ scheme.
A budgetary allocation of `85 lakh has been made for the same. The department of official language has been made a total provision of `21.70 crore.
A provision of `10 crore has also been made in the budget for the exposition of St Francis Xavier, which will be held later this year.
SOME KEY PROPOSALS
Centenary celebrations of birth anniversary of Manoharrai Sardesai and Ravindra Kelekar: various programmes will be carried out by government
Allocation of `15 crore for house building loan for government employees
Major focus is on creating infrastructure for industry, information technology, tourism and employment
Revamping of entire KTC fleet by battery-operated EV through IIT global alumni hub at `700 crore
Khelo Goa centres one in each taluka
Single window system for issuing NOC/nod for amplified sound, beach weddings, and events etc.
Full-fledged regional centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University at Farmagudi
College of Veterinary Science will be set up
ZP members honorarium to be revised
There will be collection and transportation of garbage by waste management corporation from commercial establishments
Bhagwan Birsa Munda Bhudaan Yojana for allotment of a plot of 100 sq m with increased FAR to STs and EWS beneficiaries
Pro-women budget
The document is a gender supportive budget and provides 30% of the budgetary allocations for 13 departments exclusively reserved for women. These departments include women and child development, social welfare, tribal welfare, police, rural development, education, higher education, health services, transport, animal husbandry and veterinary services, fisheries, industries, trade and commerce, and agriculture.
Symbolic temple to be built
The budget has made a provision for construction of a temple in Goa, which would be the symbolic Hindu prayer house representing the temples destroyed or damaged during the Portuguese colonial era. The temple will be constructed as per the recommendations in the report prepared by a committee constituted to study such temples. The report had stated that more than 900 temples were destroyed or damaged in the past. A provision of `20 crore has been made for the purpose.
Rs 40 crore for heritage upkeep
Heritage Policy will be implemented this year for the guiding promotion as well as protection of heritage buildings. A total provision of `40 crore has been made for the archaeology department in the budget. The Colvale Fort would be renovated, and Rs. 4 crore would be spent on the first phase of this project.
Evacuee property rights to be transferred
The budget has stated that all the rights, titles and interests held by the Custodian of Evacuee Property would be handed over to the North Goa district collector under the Goa (Abolition of Proprietorship, Titles and Grants of Lands) Act, 2014. Majority of such properties are in Mayem village, and if there are such properties in other parts of Goa then the government will also take their possession. A total amount of `1,226.10 crore has been allocated to the home department.