PANJIM: Alleging that the State’s debt has almost tripled in last seven-years of BJP-led government, the Congress on Sunday claimed that the saffron rule has pushed Goa into “financial emergency,” which is fast approaching.
Addressing media persons, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar demanded that ahead of presentation before the 15th Finance Commission, last date for which is October 30, the State government should release a ‘white paper’ on the public finance, highlighting the measures it intends to take to overcome the economic crisis.
“The BJP led government has been most insensitive. It needs to be awarded for tripling State’s debt in just seven years of its rule. State has been thrown to a situation similar to that of a beggar,” Chodankar said.
Claiming it to be official figures, Chodankar said that the State’s debt at present is Rs 20,485 crore as against Rs 7000 crore in March 2012.
He said that when the then Digamber Kamat-led government was thrown out of power, State’s debt stood at Rs 7,000 crore. “Today, every citizen in the State has a debt of Rs 1.5 lakh. All thanks to the BJP-led government,” the Congress president said.
Chodankar said that as per economic experts, the debt will touch Rs 22,000 crore by 2022 if government fails to bring in place financial discipline.
“The BJP government has pushed Goa into financial emergency. By 2022, we would be in financial emergency. Now it is high time that we fight it out united,” he said.
Further, Chodankar demanded that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant release a ‘white paper’ on the public finance, more particularly with closer of mining industry in September 2012 and introduction of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in 2015.
“We also want to know the various measures the government intends to take to overcome the situation,” he said.
He also said that government would have to take every stakeholder including opposition, industries, economic and financial experts into confidence while making presentation before the Finance Commission.
Meanwhile, speaking on another issue, Chodankar sought the chief minister’s intervention to cancel the scheduled Goa International Travel Mart 2019 (GITM) from October 23-25, claiming it to be a scam. He said that the event is a scam worth Rs 4.97 crore and the same needs to be scrapped immediately.
