5-Day Goa Budget Session To Begin Today. Focus On Health, Education, Tribal Welfare, Says CM Sawant

CM Pramod Sawant had said that this year’s budget will be realistic and futuristic, with focus on areas such as education, healthcare, sanitation, tribal welfare and other areas.

New Delhi: The five-day Budget session of the Goa Assembly will begin today and culminate on March 31. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is likely to present the Goa Budget for 2023-24 on Tuesday, while the Assembly will not have a sitting on March 30 due to Ram Navami, an official said, as reported by news agency PTI.

Taking to Twitter, CM Sawant on Saturday wrote that the state cabinet had approved the draft of 'The Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill 2023', that seeks to impose restrictions on the transfer of agricultural land to preserve and protect paddy cultivation.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties have criticized the state government over the curtailed Assembly session.

Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said several crores of rupees are spent on self-glorification events of the government and advertisements will also come up on the upcoming Assembly session.

"The session will expose the true face of the failed BJP government. It will be proved the BJP government is curtailing the session instead of curbing wasteful expenditure,” Alemao said.

Earlier, CM Sawant had said that this year’s budget will be realistic and futuristic, with focus on areas such as education, healthcare, sanitation, tribal welfare and other areas.

Addressing media persons after chairing a pre-budget orientation meeting, CM Sawant had said, “My government has set the target of availing maximum benefit out of Centrally-sponsored schemes. The state will carry out schemes on priority areas like education, healthcare, sanitation, tribal welfare, etc. The Budget will be realistic and futuristic.”

“I took the review of the last budget. We could achieve 98 per cent revenue receipt of last year and also could implement a 90 per cent budget. In this budget, we will focus on the education sector, health sector, sanitation and tribal sector," he said, adding, "In this budget, we will fully focus on the concept of 'swayampurna Goa' with skill development, and will see that schemes are reached the last mile.’

"We have focused on revenue receipt, without putting burden on people we will achieve our target. Also provision will be made for G20 and National Games made in budget," the chief minister had said.