Panaji: Ahead of the 16th Finance Commission's meeting in Goa next week, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday held a review meeting of all state departments to finalise various projects worth Rs 28,000 crore that the state plans to present before the panel. A five-member 16th Finance Commission headed by Arvind Panagariya is scheduled to visit the state from January 9 to 10.
Talking to reporters after chairing the review meeting, Sawant said, "During our meeting, talks were held on the presentation to be made on behalf of the state, highlighting Goa's financial requirements, state-specific project proposals and enhanced funding for disaster management." "Projects worth Rs 28,000 crore would be proposed in the presentation before the 16th Finance Commission," he said.
The final presentation to be made before the commission would be ready by Monday, he added. Projects worth Rs 1,693 crore for tourism, Rs 1,536 crore for education, Rs 631 crore for health, Rs 4,160 crore for Power, Rs 7,350 crore for Green Energy, Rs 5,460 crore fo Public Works Department, Rs 3,401 crore for Water Resources Department and Rs 730 crore for Waste Management would be proposed before the commission, according to Sawant.
Though Goa is a small state, it has almost one crore people as a floating population, including tourists and migrants, he said. "We are 4th in the Sustainable Development Goals. We will demand that the share of the state should be minimum one per cent as against the existing 0.35 per cent," Sawant said.
During the two-day-long visit, the commission members will interact with the local bodies like panchayats, municipalities and even the opposition political parties, the CM said.
