REWIND-FORWARD

 All key figures kept unchanged from what Parrikar presented in January  Thrust on job creation, investments in health, education and agriculture

| JULY 19, 2019, 02:11 AM IST

the goan I network

PANAJI

Quoting job creation and investments in health, education and agriculture as his government’s priorities, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday did an encore of the budget exercise and presented a Rs 455.10-crore revenue surplus budget with numbers identical to the one presented sans a ‘budget speech’ in January by his predecessor late Manohar Parrikar.   

All key budget figures have been kept unchanged from what Parrikar presented, with gross expenditure at Rs 19548.69 crores, a 14.16 per-cent hike from the figure in 2018-19. The estimated revenue receipts have also been pegged at 17.35 per-cent increase over last year at Rs 16035.22 crores.   

Sawant said he has not compromised on implementing any of the existing welfare schemes or capital expenditure on infrastructure but on the revenue account, only the bare essential expenditure has been provided for.   

Among the the new projects which Sawant articulated in his speech is construction of a new office building block outside the city to accommodate all government offices from Panaji under one roof, including those currently housed at the Junta House.   

Sawant said, he also proposes to construct 100 model anganwadis across Goa which will cater to children up to 6 years of age. Work on 15 anganwadis has already begun through GSIDC, he said. Providing a fiscal profile of the State, Sawant said, the gross fiscal deficit for the current fiscal is 1.67 percent of the GSDP which is well within the three percent norm.   

Goa’s GSDP estimate for 2019-20 stands at Rs. 84,888.89 crores and the per capita income at current prices is 5.02 lakhs, the highest in the country and the growth rate approximately 10 percent.   

On GST losses, Sawant said Goa is protected on revenue receipts for the first five years of GST implementation at an annual increase of 14 percent.   

Geo-referencing of all land records   

The Chief Minister said, geo-referencing of all land records will be implemented, partly financed by the Centre. New taluka offices will be built for Dharbandora and Sanguem talukas, and an ultra modern record room will be set up in each of the district headquarters and in all taluka sub-divisional offices for preservation, conservation and maintenance of land records, he added.   

Waste Management Department   

“I intend to make Goa an Open Defecation Free (ODF) State,” Sawant said, adding that the government will provide toilets to every household with no facility in their homes, at a nominal 5% contribution in case of SCs/STs, 

10% for OBC communities and 20% for the general category communities.   

Sawant also said that his government’s decision to create a separate Department of Waste Management, reaffirms his government’s commitment to systematic and scientific handling of the sold waste problem.   

“The new department will address all issues of e-waste, hazardous waste, bio-medical waste, construction waste as well as plastic waste,” he said, adding that the development of the “plastic waste to diesel” facility at Pernem is a futuristic step towards tackling the menace.   

He said the problem will be tackled head-on, at multiple levels and the facility at Saligao, which handles upto 113 tonnes daily, will be enjanced to a capacity to 250 tonnes per day.   

Transport Bhavan to be built   

Sawant said a modern, spacious and well equipped ‘Transport Bhavan’ will be constructed in the State. The site is yet to be identified and finalised but it will have all facilities including a truck terminus.   

Bus-stands in Panaji, Mapusa, Bicholim and Margao will also upgraded with ultra-modern and state of the art facilities on private-public participation (PPP) mode in phased manner, he added..   


Boost for handicrafts   

Sawant said specialised training in modern art, product development, design, packaging and marketing will be imparted to Goan artisans to boost and revive local handicrafts.   

Taluka Level workshops and handicraft fairs will be 

held to support rural artisans, he said.   

Events calendar   

Pointing out that the State has come to host various cultural and intellectual events like Serendipity Festival, Lokotsav, DD Kosambi Festival of Ideas, Nobel Series and Annual IFFI, Sawant said an annual Events Calendar is being proposed.   

“It will be well marketed,” Sawant said adding that indigenous cultural festivals be it ‘Sao Joao’ or ‘Shigmotsav’ which attract tourists from different segments genuinely interested in heritage, cultural and intellectual aspects will be integrated in the events calendar.   

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Designated areas for tourists   

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Recognising the urgent need to provide facilities to tourists in terms of wayside facilities so that roadsides and open spaces are not misused, Sawant said said he proposes to outsource such centres, where adequate change room facility, toilets, dining among others are provided.   

The revenue and operational model will be suitably prepared, he added.   

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Education: stress on upping curriculum quality   

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The foundation of education in terms of quantity has already been laid and now time has come to improve academic quality of our education to match the world’s best academic system,” Sawant said, adding that the government will take all steps to improve academic quality from primary to University level.   

“I intend to strengthen Goa Board with streamlining of examination and evaluation system and providing high quality academic expertise to various studies of various subjects of Goa Board.   

He said, Goa’s freedom struggle has already been incorporated in school curriculum and to avoid absenteeism of girl child from school, the government has involved NGOs to provide sanitary napkins to all government high schools and Higher Secondaries at normal prices along with dispenser and incinerator for disposal.   

Also, 72 trained counsellors and 16 supervisors under Goa Education Development Corporation have been deployed to cover 264 secondary and higher secondary schools. Streamlining teachers training by SCERT, deployment of ‘Master Trainers’ at the Block level to train primary and upper primary teachers through Block Resource Centers (GSSA) are initiatives already taken to improve quality of education, he said.   

Skill-based education, already being imparted up to the High School level, will also be extended to aided schools under National Skill Development framework. And, to to develop scientific temper among students, Sawant said, he proposes to encourage teachers and support them to develop innovative teaching-learning aids, demonstration and experiments, hold science symposium, conferences, educational tours/trips, well equipped laboratories.   

He said, he has also created an ‘Educational Development Fund’ managed by Goa Educational Development Corporation and monitored by a ‘High Powered Committee’ which grants administrative approval and financial sanction for infrastructure projects and equipment purchase proposed by the departments of education, Higher Education and Technical Education.   

These three departments will also contribute to the fund through threir respective budget provisions.   

Sawant said, he also proposes to revamp the entire curriculum of technical education to bring it on par with the best in the country.   

Goa University and Board of Technical Education will be entrusted the task, he said.   

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Organic farming, agriculutre   

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“I reiterate my commitment towards Goa’s agricultural ethos and identity,” Sawant said, adding that he proposes to focus on organic farming.   

“Vegetables grown organically are in tremendous demand,” he said, adding that he proposes to encourage adoption of organic farming methods in paddy, cashew and coconut.   

“Cashew has been our premier cash-crop and I seek to emphasise the need to give more support,” he said, and added that there is an urgent need to conserve khazans and farming on them.   

Demo units as ideal khazan systems in Bicholim, Bardez, Tiswadi and Salcete area will be developed to revive traditional khazan cultivation system, he said.   

Water supply   

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To ensure round-the-clock water supply and villages are covered with piped water supply schemes, the government has initiated projects totalling 90 MLD at a cost of Rs 370-crores which Sawant said had been announced by Parrikar.   

“These are ready for execution including 15 MLD plant at Porvorim and Chandel, 5 MLD at Canacona, 30 MLD Plant at Tuem,,20 MLD Plant at Guirim and 5 MLD plant at Netravali.   

Also, the ongoing JICA project is nearing completion, he said and added that his government will ensure that the entire project will be commissioned by December 2020.   

He said, he also proposes to reintroduce the “One Time Settlement Scheme” for water bills payment of defaulted domestic consumers and the temporary ones obtained for construction sites.   

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Underground power cabling   

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“The conversion of overhead line network to underground cabling is a priority area but needs huge investment,” Sawant said, adding that it will be implemented in a phased manner by utilizing the “Electricity Duty Fund”.   

 The aerial bunched cabling of the 11 KV network costing around Rs. 145 crores is already in progress under the fund, he said, and under the the Tribal Sub Plan, the work for conversion of overhead 11 KV Netravali feeder to underground cabling at a Rs 40-crores cost is tendered.   

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Mining   

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Sawant said his government is exploring all possibilities to resume mining and added that he recently had a meeting with the Group of Ministers under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where various options were discussed.   

The Mining Ministry of Government of India has been asked to examine all the judicial and legislative options to resume mining in Goa.   

“I am extremely hopeful that with the assistance and guidance from the Group of Ministers we would be able to resume mining soon,” Sawant said.   

In the interim, mining and related trade will be resumed by the government by auction of the available mineral dump and extracted ore,” Sawant said.   

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