Team Herald
PORVORIM: Senior Minister and Leader of the House Ramakrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar will present the State Budget 2018-19 before the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently admitted in Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, has authorised Dhavalikar to table the Budget in his absence.
For the first time in the history of the State Assembly, the Budget will be placed by a Minister who does not hold the Finance portfolio. There is no clarity so far, whether the Budget would be just placed on the floor of the House or would be read out in detail.
This is going to the second Budget of the Parrikar-led coalition government and the first after the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Despite being hospitalised since February 15, Parrikar has given final touches to the Budget through oral instructions to the authorities. As hinted earlier by the Chief Minister, the Budget is not going to be populist but government will ensure that the common man is not taxed ‘beyond normal reasonable limit’.
“The Budget is completely drafted by Chief Minister. It is his hard work. I will be placing the Budget on the Floor on Thursday as per authorisation by Chief Minister,” Dhavalikar told Herald.
There is nothing much that government is likely to offer under social welfare, but there could be some stringent measures like ban on drinking in public places, imposition of fine for drinking and littering in public areas, measures to double the farmers income announced.
The closure of the iron ore mining industry by the Supreme Court is likely to have an impact on the State revenue projection for the coming year.
As per the Economic Survey 2017-18 placed on the Floor of the House, State revenue and capital expenditure for the on-going financial year have been pegged at Rs 9,320 crore and Rs 5,076 crore respectively.
The report also indicates that despite implementation of the GST, State revenue through taxes saw a growth of 15 per cent compared to the last financial year.
Industry players like Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in their pre-budget memorandum had brought up the issues of the crisis-hit mining sector and creation of employment.
