State steps up pace on delivery of promises

Team Herald 

PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that the Goa State Mining Corporation will be set up by May 30 and that the government will avail Rs 4000 crore to Rs 5000 crore Central funds and Rs 250 crore NABARD funds for various projects in the State.

Sawant was speaking to media persons after chairing a meeting of Secretaries to the government and select heads of departments regarding action taken on budget assurances. He also discussed the delivery of schemes and services under ‘Swayampurna Goa’ initiative.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to set up online facilitation and easy delivery of 10 focus points under the ‘Swayampurna Goa’ programme. 

After the meeting, Sawant said that the Goa State Mining Corporation, which was announced in the Budget will be formed by May 30 this year. “The formation of Goa State Mining Corporation involves some procedures and on or before May 30 it will be formed,” he said. 

Sawant said that the government has identified as many as 122 Central government sector schemes. While some of these schemes have been implemented, proposals to implement the remaining schemes have been sent to the Government of India. 

Sawant said that the barring three cases, the government has submitted 100 per cent utilisation certificates to the Union government and will now receive Rs 4000-Rs 5000 crore funds from the Centre for implementing its schemes in the State.

Sawant said that he has given directions to the heads of departments to implement the Centrally-sponsored schemes and 

target dates to either start the process of laying foundation stones and to complete the ongoing infrastructure projects by December this year.

The Chief Minister said that the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme has been fully launched in the State while the advertisement inviting applications for the Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme, motivating young leaders and professionals, will be released by this month end.

Sawant further said that the State government will avail of Rs 250 crore funds from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). These funds will be availed at an interest rate of 2.5 per cent and will be exclusively utilised for rural infrastructure development projects.

According to Sawant, the government used to avail Rs 40 crore loans from NABARD every year and this will be for the first time the government will avail Rs 250 crore funds.

The meeting also took stock of unutilised government buildings and decided to put them to use. Most of the government offices which are currently functioning in rented premises would now be shifted to government buildings by October this year, he said.

The Chief Minister said that the government had so far received vision documents from 84 departments.

The meeting also decided to appoint two firms – All India Institute of Local Self Government and  Darashaw – as consultants, who will work in tandem with the Goa government on sharing basis.

To a question, Sawant said that the new Sankhali bus stand will be inaugurated either on April 23 or 25.