PANJIM: Admitting of State reeling under “severe” financial crisis due to Coronavirus-enforced lockdown, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that government has sought financial package from the Centre to tide-over COVID crisis.
Speaking to media persons, Sawant said that the State Goods and Service Tax (GST) and Value Added Tax (VAT) collection has affected drastically in the last month of the financial year 2019-20.
“State is going through severe financial crisis due to COVID pandemic. The situation is similar in rest of the country,” he said.
“We have briefed the Centre in detail about the financial position of the State and have also sought for financial package for revival,” the Chief Minister said.
The State government has already constituted Economic Revival Committee and Expenditure Control Committee to guide the government in the way forward post COVID-19 pandemic. The Economic Revival Committee in its two reports have laid stress on resumption of iron ore mining industry to boost the economy.
Meanwhile, the State is set to borrow Rs 100 crore loan this month. This will be the first borrowing of the ongoing financial year 2020-21.
The State has issued a notification for the sale of stocks worth Rs 100 crore on May 12. Government had taken loan of Rs 200 crores in February, this year.
In December 2019, State had borrowed a whopping Rs 680 crore.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold video-conferencing with all Chief Ministers on current lockdown and COVID situation on Monday.
“This is going to be one of the longest video conference, which will start at 3.00pm. First session of interaction will be from 3.00pm to 6.00pm and thereafter half an hour break and it will resume again,” he said while refusing to comment on whether the State will seek for further extension in the lockdown, which will conclude on May 17.
