Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has asked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to allocate nearly Rs 10,000 crore for various developmental and ecological projects during a pre-budget meeting held in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on Friday.
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Among the key demands, Sawant highlighted the need for Rs 500 crore to revive khazan farming in the State. He also sought Rs 5,000 crore for the upgradation of the Konkan Railway route, along with Rs 1,500 crore for the construction of new alternate railway tunnels at Old Goa and Pernem to improve connectivity and for passenger safety. The allocation of funds will help the State to use the rail network for inter-city connectivity given the Goa’s scarce land mass and it would be difficult to widen the road network.
Sawant pointed out that the Konkan Railway could not complete the work of double tracking due to paucity of funds and could undertake double tracking only for a small portion.
Additionally, the Chief Minister requested Rs 1,000 crore for the replacement of aging water pipelines and another Rs 1,000 crore to safeguard the Western Ghats, a crucial ecological zone.
Sawant also proposed the introduction of Superfast or Vande Bharat Express trains connecting Goa to Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad for the benefit of Goans working in the IT sector in these cities.
“The 15th Finance Commission had recommended Rs 200 crore to the State of Goa for tourism development and Rs 500 crore for climate change – waste to energy and renewable sources of energy. The State-specific Finance Commission grants may be released to Goa in this financial year 2025-26,” Sawant urged with the Finance Minister.
Sawant submitted a memorandum to Sitharaman, who chaired the meeting on pre-budget consultation with States and Union Territories for the Union Budget 2025-26.
