Goa Budget to be presented today

PANAJI, MARCH 28: Goa Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha will present his coalition Government’s first Budget for 2000-2001 in the State Assembly on Wednesday.

Sardinha, who is holding the Finance portfolio, had already indicated that the Goa Peoples Congress-Bhartiya Janata Party Government would present a "popular budget”, without putting any major burden on the common masses. However, some innovative measures for additional resource mobilisation are likely to be proposed in the Budget, particularly in the light of state’s poor financial health.

As in the previous years, the debate on Budget proposals would be held during the monsoon session of the State Assembly. To meet expenditure till that period, the State Government is all set to seek a vote on account for the first four months of the next financial year during this session itself.

The Budget session, which began on March 21 at the newly constructed legislative complex, is scheduled to conclude on March 31.