Goa CM hails Union Budget; says will try to bring various Central schemes to state

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday hailed the Union Budget and said his government will pitch for the setting up of various centrally-sponsored projects in the state.

Speaking to reporters, Sawant said his government will seek the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence, the Skill India Centre in Goa, among other initiatives.

The Goa government will establish the National Hydrogen Mission here with the help of the Union government, as well as an organic farming centre in each district, he added.

The CM expressed confidence the state will get Rs 2,000 crore for national highway works in fiscal 2023-24, adding his government will submit proposals worth Rs 500 crore for rural infrastructure development.

”We will submit projects for each of the municipal councils under the Urban Infrastructure Development fund that has been announced in the Union Budget. The state government will also set up a national digital library,” he said.

He said for the fiscal 2020-21, Goa received funds of Rs 3865 crore through different schemes, including the GST compensation, and this rose to Rs 4304 crore during the year 2021-22.

”The state has received Rs 3412 crore up to December 30, 2022, and this is project to touch Rs 5,000 crore by March 2023,” Sawant added.