Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Reacting to the Union budget, former GPCC president Girish Chodankar strongly criticised the budget and claimed that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman has forgotten about the state of Goa as no allocation of funds made specifically for Goa.
He said, “Ignored ailing tourism and mining industries and DECENNIAL EXPOSITION OF THE PATRON SAINT OF GOA ST FRANCIS XAVIER. The budget has proved that we are not even second-class citizens for Central BJP Government”.
While elaborating further, he said there is nothing specific for Goa to bail out the local economy hit hard by the pandemic and mining closure and tourism setback. Goa is being given a third-class citizen’s treatment. Since central assistance has dried up, the BJP Government here is burdening people with higher water and power rates.
“Biggest disappointment is in the cultural and heritage sector as the world-famous city of Old Goa is suffering without central assistance. The secular Goans feel humiliated because the central government has forgotten to give a special heritage conservation and tourism package in view of the DECENNIAL EXPOSITION OF THE PATRON SAINT OF GOA ST FRANCIS XAVIER,” he said.
Chodankar said this shows that the BJP govt at the centre and in the state has deliberately ignored the exposition of our Goencho Saib, which proves definite discrimination in the release of funds.
Therefore this budget is an anti minorities budget, said Chodankar.
Chodankar said the Central government has completely neglected the plight of thousands of seafarers of Goa who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
“The central government was expected to give special support to restore the 2000 km long Khazan bundhs without which one-third of the state would get flooded, but it has completely ignored the misery of thousands of Khazan farmers in Goa thus proving that Goans are being treated as third class citizens,” claimed Chodankar.
He further claimed that the Pharma industry in Goa is completely disappointed with the budget despite making excellent contributions in the export sector.
He said, there is no provision to shift coal imports from Marmagoa Port authority MPA and give sufficient funding support to Marmagoa Port authority to convert the harbour for the import and export of non-polluting goods and services.
“The complete neglect of MPA shows that it has been abandoned and orphaned by the central government, which is not bothered about heavy air pollution due to cancer-causing coal dust in Mormugao taluka,” he stated.
Chodankar expressed disappointment that the total neglect of Goa in the budget despite an MP from Goa being a central minister gives enough reasons for voters to defeat both the BJP candidates in the coming Loksabha elections.
