Team Herald
PANJIM: The State government is confident that in a year’s time, it will not have to depend on compensation from the Centre as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection will give an additional revenue of Rs 500-800 crore.
“My prediction stands that GST will give us Rs 500-800 crore extra. For July, only 85 percent traders have paid their returns and 15 percent are still left. The amount may not be big but because of this there is some pending amount recorded every month,” he said after a BJP legislature wing meeting on Friday. “We are currently getting compensation from the Centre which will not be required,” he reiterated.
Stating that a positive direction has been established, Parrikar reiterated that GST has benefited Goa and everything will fall in place soon. Even after GST, he said, Goa has recorded 7-8 percent growth in revenue.
The meeting held at Porvorim saw the CM discussing the status of development works in the constituencies represented by the MLAs. Parrikar revealed that in the last nine months, he has released Rs 1886 crore to various departments while this month, Rs 110 crore and Rs 22 crore have been released to PWD and Power department respectively. “Work in the constituencies has begun. Projects worth nearly 150-200 crore have been sanctioned in various constituencies following proposal from the MLAs,” the CM added.
He said that recruitments in government departments will resume next month. On the newly formed Mopa PDA, the CM said it would be headed by him and that assets of Greater Panjim PDA will be notified first before appointing the Board.
