FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that the government has taken measures to mobilise revenues by plugging leakages.
Replying to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the Legislative Assembly, Sawant said the government has started mobilising revenues due to various measures.
He said that even home stays have now been registered as per the Tourist Trade Registration Act. Warning companies evading GST, he said that he has asked the GST Office to check GST evasion.
Sawant said that the Swayampurna Goa Initiative 2.0 will focus on providing skilled employment and that his government is focusing on exporting agricultural produce. The government has now started BSc in Agriculture College at Old Goa and disclosed plans to start MSc in agriculture if the government succeeds in obtaining necessary permissions.
In the education sector, he said that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will be implemented for the pre-primary section in the State from the next academic year. The mid-day meal scheme rates have also been revised, he added.
Sawant appealed to defaulters of PWD (water supply) and power supply to avail the benefit of the One-Time Settlement (OTS) and added that the government will never again introduce the OTS option.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao applauded the efforts of environmentalist Dr Claude Alvares and NGO Goa Foundation for their efforts to stop illegal mining and fetch revenues for the State through auctioning of iron ore.
The Opposition had moved as many as 129 amendments to the Governor’s address delivered on Monday.
