PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has announced that the spending on education would be increased from the current 3.4 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 5-6 per cent of the GDP in the coming few years.
Speaking to media persons, Parrikar said that State spending on education sector is nearly 3.4 percent of the GDP, which is highest in the country. “It is almost more than the national average,” he stated.
“We would like to increase the spending to 5-6 percent of the GDP in the coming few years,” Parrikar, who also holds Education portfolio, said.
While placing the State Budget 2017-18, the chief minister had said that the State spending is nearly 60 percent of the expected spending of the 6 percent of the GDP, the norm which is being setup by educational experts and economists.
Parrikar had assured the House that his government would try and cover up the 40 percent gap over the next few years, thereby achieving the desired target.
Meanwhile, refuting the allegations by Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza on the lack of funds to his departments, the chief minister said that for the ongoing financial year, a total of Rs 266 crore are being provided to the department of municipal administration and GSUDA.
“There was some misconception on his (Francis) part. Till October, we have given grants of Rs 233 crore to the municipal administration and Rs 33 crore to GSUDA. Of the Rs 33 crore, Rs 15 crore is spent on Mapusa constituency alone,” he explained.
However, he admitted that there was no release of salary grant to the municipalities for the year 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. “The same is being cleared step by step. By November end, entire arrears would be cleared,” he said.
