PANJIM, MARCH 24
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat will present the Goa Budget for the financial year 2010-11 in the Goa assembly on Thursday.
This will the second time, Kamat will present the Budget since he became the chief minister in June 2007. The first budget during his tenure as chief minister, was introduced by then finance minister Dayanand Narvekar before he was dropped from the ministry in August 2008 and finance portfolio was retained by the chief minister.
Last March Kamat couldn’t present a full-fledged budget as the Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha election was in force. This was the reason what was called supplementary budget was introduced in the assembly during the monsoon session.
With the implementation of 6th Pay Commission becoming a huge burden on the exchequer, the government is planning to come out with new proposals for revenue generation. Every month, additional Rs 25 crore is incurred in view of the implementation of Sixth Pay scale. In fact, revenue generation measures may take top priority as the revenue expenditure has increased manifold over the years. The State government’s financial position appears far from rosy.
Besides, Dayanand Social Security Scheme, Cyberage, Mediclaim, etc are proving very costly for the state exchequer.
However, considering the high expenditure estimated and the revenue generation measures to be adopted, the Budget size is going to be around Rs 2500 crore, sources said.
PROPOSALS ONLY ON PAPER: The Kamat government however, failed to implement two main proposals announced in the Budget last year, to mop up additional revenue.
Displaying grit, the chief minister had announced introduction of Land replenishment–cum-green environment charge on mining rejects. The rate proposed was Rs 30 per tonne of the reject and this single step was to bring in very huge revenue — an estimated Rs 375 crore.
For more than six months, the file on the proposal made rounds of 2-3 departments including finance, department of mines, transport, etc but eventually it was put on the back-burner. Observers say the pressure of the mining lobby was too strong to implement it.
The other major step taken for revenue generation was Professional Tax. The aam admi heaved a sigh of relief as it was deferred for implementation in the new financial year. The Cabinet which went into it brought down the rates proposed for salaried persons and professionals in the Budget. The bill was introduced but not taken up for consideration and passing.
The proposal of setting up check-post plazas so that every paise collected at the border is accounted for, is pending for more than two years now.
