Team Herald
Panjim: The Leader of Opposition (LoP) Digambar Kamat on Tuesday appealed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant demanding that the 60th year of Goa Liberation be celebrated by designing a Rs 100 crore revival package to help the needy and marginal groups, who have suffered on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Kamat emphasised and demanded for curtailment of the planned ‘celebration’ expenditure, implementation of Vision-2035 document, Goenche Daiz scheme and a Rs 100 crore package to the marginalized sector.
“We demand that the 60th year of Goa’s liberation must be celebrated by helping the needy with 100 crore Economic Revival Package & involvement of local artists, groups and institutions. The government must focus on visionary plans for the betterment of Goa and refrain from incurring huge expenditure when the State is in bad financial condition and people are suffering due to the COVID pandemic,” Kamat said.
The former CM pointed out that he had been contacted by some freedom fighters, social activists, teachers, artists and others from all across the State raising apprehensions about the proposal of the government to spend huge amounts for organizing these celebrations during the on-going COVID pandemic and its effects on the State economy.
He recalled how the CM himself had gone on record stating that the finances of the State are in a bad condition and is continuously borrowing money to meet with its revenue deficit.
Kamat alleged that due to poor financial constraints; the government has discontinued with the House Building Allowance Scheme; that local film producers have not received any financial help for producing the films for almost 8 years; and that the beneficiaries of the Social Welfare Schemes like have not received their monthly pensions for last 6 months.
The senior Congress leader added that post the COVID outbreak and collapse of the economy due to unplanned nationwide lockdown, the marginalized sector has suffered the most and has come under huge financial burden resulting in the collapse of every household budget. “The common man is looking for financial help from the government to cope up with the current situation,” he claimed.
“I strongly feel that the real tribute to all those known and unknown freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives and fought for the liberation of Goa will be by extending a helping hand to the needy,” Kamat demanded.
