CM Pramod Sawant seeks Rs 4,000 crore provision for Goa in Sitharaman’s Budget

Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday urged Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to make a budgetary provision of around Rs 4,000 crore for Goa, including Rs 500 crore for the new district Kushavati. This also includes funds for the development of an industrial corridor, tourism, and construction of a new railway station at Margao, among others.Sawant urged the finance minister to revise the Centre-state funding pattern for centrally sponsored schemes from 60:40 to 90:10 citing coastal vulnerability, environmentally fragile hotspots such as the Western Ghats, and cultural heritage obligations.At a pre-Union Budget meeting chaired by Sitharaman, Sawant said that funds are to address the state’s developmental requirements arising from its small geographical size, high per-capita infrastructure costs, ecological sensitivity, and tourism-driven service load.The chief minister urged Sitharaman to carry forward the state-specific recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, which recommended Rs 700 crore to Goa for tourism development and climate change. “As the award period of the 15th Finance Commission is now getting over, Goa requested to carry forward these recommendations during the award period of the 16th Finance Commission,” Sawant said.“Several north-eastern and Himalayan states receive 90:10 funding due to terrain constraints, environmental sensitivity, and strategic and ecological importance. The same factors are applicable for Goa, viz. coastal vulnerability and climate risks, environmentally fragile hotspots such as the Western Ghats, CRZ areas, and national tourism and cultural heritage obligations,” Sawant further said. “Goa requested a revised 90:10 Centre–state funding pattern, which would represent an equitable and pragmatic adjustment, consistent with the spirit of cooperative federalism and existing precedents for differentiated support.”Sawant said that Goa has sought assistance of Rs 500 crore under a special package to meet the capital and developmental requirements of the new district ‘Kushavati’.Besides, financial support to the extent of Rs 1,000 crore has been sought as special assistance from central govt for the development of industrial corridors integrated with national highways, in line with national objectives of boosting manufacturing, logistics efficiency, and regional economic growth.The chief minister also said that there are no regular trains to Goa from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune, which are approximately 10-13 hours away from the state. To boost tourism by improving connectivity, he requested direct superfast trains from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune to Goa.“To upgrade the infrastructure of Konkan Railway, Goa has requested assistance of Rs 160 crore for construction of a new station at Margao, including intermodal connectivity with a new ring road, and a new crossing station at Mayem,” the chief minister said.Sawant added that the state has also sought Rs 600 crore for mitigation and sea erosion control, mangrove restoration, river-bank protection, flood mitigation, and storm-water drainage infrastructure.As Goa provides advanced healthcare facilities not only to its own residents but also for tourists and residents of neighbouring districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra, Sawant said that his govt has sought enhanced central financial assistance of approximately Rs 300 crore for strengthening the health sector across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.“This includes Rs 100 crore for upgradation and expansion of tertiary care facilities, including commissioning of a Cancer Center at Goa Medical College, and Rs 100 crore for modernisation of district hospitals, community health centres, and sub-district hospitals through procurement of advanced diagnostic and medical equipment,” Sawant said. “An additional Rs 100 crore is required for strengthening emergency and trauma care, ambulance networks, and disaster and epidemic preparedness, particularly in view of Goa’s high tourist inflow and coastal vulnerability,” he added.Goa has also asked for financial assistance of approximately Rs 600 crore for comprehensive upgradation of sewerage systems, solid waste management, and storm water drainage infrastructure across urban and peri-urban areas.“This includes an estimated Rs 400 crore for expansion and modernisation of sewerage networks and sewage treatment plants, including rehabilitation of old pipelines and addition of tertiary treatment to prevent marine and river pollution. A further Rs 200 crore is proposed for strengthening solid waste management, covering establishment and upgradation of waste processing facilities, scientific landfills, biomethanation and waste-to-energy units, and decentralised waste management infrastructure in tourism-intensive areas.”Goa has requested for a dedicated scheme for concert economy, theme parks, and immersive tourism assets, and to provide fiscal incentives for constructing multi-use arenas and large-format event infrastructure in different states.Goa has all the necessary infrastructure and highly productive human resources that can be trained in such centres of excellence along with other experts. Hence, Goa requests establishment of a centre of excellence for skilling in tourism, with a focus on skilling in event management, adventure tourism, wellness, water sports, and destination management in the state, Sawant said.The state has further requested the Union govt to consider a grant of Rs 100 crore as a special incentive to Goa for renewable energy, encompassing enhanced central financial assistance, viability gap funding, and preferential access to green financing instruments.