PANAJI: The opposition on Tuesday claimed that financial position of the State was not sound and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was shying away from discussing the issue. Addressing a joint press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing budget session of the Goa Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat said, ''According to the reply total debt was of the State was Rs 20,412 crore on March 31, 2019 and now it is 24,928.23 crore. According to reply to a question, revenue receipts for 2019-2020 are Rs 8475.01 crore and revenue expenditure is Rs 8,099.85 crore. It means there is a surplus of 375.86 crore. It there is surplus, then government is availing loans. ...I think all these figures are forged.'' Kamat alleged that the government had provided different answers to questions, which were identical, asked by opposition MLAs on financial situation of the State. Goa Forward Party (GFP) president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai alleged that policy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was to divert financial issues and bring emotive issues. ''Half-day was spent on congratulation motion on CAA but government has not time to discuss financial issue,'' Kamat alleged.
Madkai MGP legislator Sudin Dhavlikar said he had asked a question that what was expenditure by each department. ''The question has been postponed but to my knowledge the total expenditure has not crossed even 60 per cent and even capital expenditure was not even 10 per cent, seven or 30 per cent. In some of the departments it is just 0.7 per cent,'' he said. Navelim Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro said financial position of Goa had worsened and demanded white paper on the state of economy. ''We see that total debt of the State, according to the reply, is Rs 24,000 crore. It means you have not taken loan but government has taken (loan of) Rs 1,50,000 per capita without asking you. We are in the debt trap. I think the State is bankrupt. The situation is worst. Goa State is not poor. Our mineral wealth itself is worth Rs 4,50,000 crore. The money which is supposed to be received from illegal mining is Rs 34,80,000 crore. Where is this money? There is mismanagement of the economy. Therefore, it is required that the government should come out with white paper,'' Luizinho said. Porvorim independent MLA Rohan Khaunte alleged that irresponsible answers were being received to the questions and different answers were being given to different members to same questions. Saligao GFP legislator Jayesh Salgaonkar claimed that BJP had been claiming that Central government was supporting the State very well but the fact was different. ''The State government was promised Rs 3,300 crore but it would be get only Rs 2480 crore. It means Rs 820 crore has been reduced. This is very serious issue,'' Salgaonkar said.