Congress CM, MPs welcome budget

PTI, PANAJI | 27 February 2010 09:01 IST

Goa’s ruling politicos and industry players have expressed its contentment over union budget’s allocation of Rs 200 crores for restoring state’s beaches and green cover.

"This is for the first time that Goa has figured in the union budget, directly getting a package through budgetary process," chief minister Digamber Kamat claimed.

Briefing media persons on the union budget, Kamat said that the state had asked for this Golden Jubilee package under various estimates.

"I have been persuing right from the beginning. We had given them various estimates to the tune to Rs 1400 crore," Kamat, who is also state's finance minister, said.

The chief minister said from amongst various counts, the union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee picked up this particular package.

The Union government today proposed to prove the sum as a Special Golden Jubilee package to Goa to preserve the natural resources of the state by restoring Goa's beaches which are prone to erosion and increasing green cover through sustainable forestry.

Kamat also said it is growth-oriented budget with focus on social sectors.

"This budget also gives more thrust on education, rural development, agriculture and infrastructure as far as budget allocations are concerned," he added.

"By restructing the income tax slab further, in which they have reduced the tax liability of 60 per cent of income tax payers, union finance minister has given significant relief to middle classe at a time when this class is getting affected with high inflation of food and other necessities," the chief minister lauded.

"Food security bill itself indicates that government is committed to bringing out the inflation and make available food to weaker sections of the society. Of the total expenditure, 25 per cent has been exclusively earned for rural development. It is a step in right direction for inclusive growth," he said.

Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik and Lok Sabha MP Fransisco Sardinha, both Congress, have also welcomed the budget.

"Goa Government should constitute a committee to suggest the rational spending of the sum and prevent wastage of funds," Naik suggested.

He added that  Finance Secretary of the State Government should be entrusted with the responsibility of getting the sanctioned amount in the State treasury at the earliest.

"In the past, funds allocated by the Central Government have failed to reach Goa kitty on account of lack of follow-up action. We should avoid such a recurrence," he said

Sardinha said that the budget not only takes care of Aam Aadmi but also all sections of the people. "I also congratulate finance minister for giving special package to Goa," the MP said.

Goa's tourism industry has expressed satisfaction over proposed money allocation to look after beaches, which are being lost to the sand erosion.

"This has been the demand of tourism industry for so long. There is urgent need to mend the beaches, which could now be fulfilled with this money," Ralph D'Souza, President, Travel and tourism association of Goa, said.  

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A common man fails to understand as to what is so extraordinary in the Budget! On the contrary, the hike in petrol and diesel prices will have a cascading effect on all the commodities of mass consumption and make the life of the common man more miserable!

The two hundred crores packet for Goa is peanuts compared to the irreversible damage that the mining industry has caused to the State! It is still not understood as to why the common man has to suffer heavily due to Mining ill-effects when the profit from the mining goes in the pockets of a selected few!

- Vishwas Prabhudesai, Loliem | 28 th February 2010 16:45