PANJIM: Appealing to the BJP-led government not to make Goans, each already burdened with a Rs 93,000 debt, look like “beggars” the Congress on Wednesday demanded a ‘special Prime Minister financial package’ for the State to tide over the current economic crisis.
The opposition targeted the BJP for ruining the State’s economy by arbitrarily banning iron ore mining activities in 2012 and further making excessive and unwarranted expenditure on social welfare schemes like Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS), Griha Adhar and Ladli Laxmi. The Congress highlighted how the three-year-old BJP government has failed to implement even 50 per cent of its Budget plan outlay. Addressing the media Wednesday afternoon, Congress president Luizinho Faleiro accepted the BJP challenge to have a joint press conference on the financial position of the State and castigated the government for its unhealthy administrative exercise and demanded a sound fiscal policy under Fiscal Responsibility Management Act.
Faleiro said that the State Budget 2015-16, which was presented as a surplus budget, is actually a deficit budget by 9 per cent. “Even as there is uncertainty about resumption of mining activities, the Budget proposes Rs 742 crore revenue through the mining sector. This is a blunder,” he stated.
“BJP during the Manohar Parrikar regime ruined Goan economy by banning mining and then failed to uphold Goa’s interest when the issue came up before the Supreme Court,” the former chief minister said.
The senior Congressman said that while the State public debt runs into Rs 13,900 crore with every head burdened with Rs 93,000, the government’s efforts are on creating a façade of satisfaction among the people through several doles. “Crores of rupees are spent every month. These schemes exceed the budget estimate and government needs to rethink,” he said.
“I am not against these schemes but if there is money then give away but if there is no money then one needs to think prudently. There have to be proper checks and implementations,” he added.
“Instead of making a scheme look like a dowry, invest in the education of girl child,” Faleiro said pointing to Ladli Laxmi scheme under which Rs 1 lakh is given to the girl child at the age of 18 for educational or health or marriage purposes.
Faleiro said that BJP government has failed to implement even 50 per cent of its Budget plan outlay. In 2010-11 the plan implementation was 85 per cent; in 2011-12 it came down to 79 per cent and in 2012-13 and 2013-14 it is stagnant at 49 per cent.
