GOVERNMENT FIRM ON ITS STAND OVER MINING ASSURES CM

PANJIM: The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat has said that his government’s stand on mining was clear and that it had proposed to levy tax on them at all possible avenues like issue of air and water clearances by the Goa State Pollution Control Board, lease renewal by amending the Act so as to raise the renewal fees, besides ensuring that the mining companies pay for the construction of the proposed bypasses.

Replying to the issues raised by the members of the House during general discussion on the budget for the year 2011-12 on Monday, the Chief Minister further said that the villagers had borne the brunt of mining for a long time and that the government was now trying to ease their grievances and had proposed various facilities in the budget using the royalty collected from the mining activities.

Stating that his government had attempted to give a new direction to the future of the state, Mr Kamat went on to add that the budgetary allocation for all key sector had been raised by him in his budget speech.  He also said that he had provided free education up to post graduation level to the students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes communities and also orphaned children.

Accordingly, the outlay for the social sector had been raised from ` 159 crore last year to ` 218 crore, while for the education sector the amount had been doubled from ` 69 crore to ` 138 crore, he said. He also said that the budget outlay for the tribal welfare had also been raised.

The Chief Minister further said that he had accommodated the important demands of the members of the House as regards to the developmental activities in their constituencies, even as he went on to add that he had provided funds for implementation of all the schemes announced in the budget and promised to make more funds available, if necessary.

The size of the budget had grown by atleast 20 per cent over the last three years, said Mr Kamat adding that while the size of the budget was ` 1,737 crore in the year 2008-09 and that it grew to ` 2,240 in the year 2009-10. The budget size rose to ` 2,710 in the year 2010-11 and in the current year it stood at ` 3,129 crore.

He also said that overall growth over the last three years was 78 per cent while the outlay for the last three years had risen by 71 per cent. He further said that his government would try to meet the fiscal consolidation adding that it was the expectation of the people to get more and more benefits from the government without getting taxed.

On the issue of many officers holding several charges in addition to their basic posts, he said that the state administration was facing acute shortage of officers to man the posts.

He further said that the government would relax experience criteria so as to promote the officers to the next higher grade. He also said that ever since Drishti took over the life guarding on Goan beaches the number of drowning deaths had come down drastically.

Earlier, the members of the House raised the various issues pertaining to the development of state in general and their constituencies in particular.

Those who participated in general discussion included; Mr Agnelo Fernandes, Mr Damodar Naik, Mr Francis D’Souza, Mr Mauvin Godinho, Mr Ramesh Tawadkar, Ms Victoria Fernandes, Mr Laxmikant Parsekar, Mr Pandurang Madkaikar, Mr Rajesh Patnekar, Mr Shyam Satardekar, Mr Vasudev Gaonkar, Mr Pratap Gawas, Mr Anant Shet and Mr Mahadev Naik.

Earlier, the House gave its approval to vote on account bill for two months of the new financial year 2011-12, when the Speaker, Mr Pratapsing Rane put it to the vote of the House after a brief discussion.

Mr Manohar Parrikar, the leader of the opposition while speaking on the issue said that the government could have taken vote on account for just a month since the budget would be passed by early April. He charged the government of not having any financial discipline.

He also asked the government whether the sanction of the House was taken for two months so that the outstanding dues of the current financial year could be paid from the sanctioned funds. Stating that there was huge deficit he wondered from where the funds would come for implementation of the schemes announced in the budget.