PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday presented a revenue surplus budget with an outlay of Rs 21,056.35 crore in the Legislative Assembly. The budget prioritised resumption of mining, development of tourism in the hinterland, medical and eco-tourism and increase in the ease of doing business in the state.
It also spoke about developing Goa as a "convention centre and education hub". The budget, with revenue surplus of Rs 353.61 crore, proposed an outlay of Rs 21,056.35 crore. Sawant, who holds the finance portfolio, presented his first-ever budget after taking over as chief minister following the death of Manohar Parrikar last year.
Among other things, he announced an apprentice scheme, to be implemented by the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation, for college students and graduates. He said that the 'Goa Institute of Future Transformation' would be set up on the lines of NITI Aayog.
"The GSDP (gross state domestic product) estimate for 2019-20 is Rs 84,888.89 crore and Goa's per capita income at current prices is Rs 5.02 lakh, which is the highest in the country," he said. "The growth rate is approximately 10 per cent," he added.
"Revenue mobilization remains key to attaining budgeted targets. As GST (Goods and Services Tax) stabilizes, and mining resumes, it should boost the state's revenue capacity and support resumption of fiscal consolidation," the chief minister said. Iron ore mining in Goa has come to a standstill following a Supreme Court order quashing mining leases for irregularities.