Reach XI, Computer Free !
Sandesh Prabhudesai
14 June 2002
Every student in Goa will be now able
to take home a computer almost free once he reaches standard
XI, thanks to the special budgetary provision announced
by chief minister Manohar Parrikar, while presenting the
annual budget today.
Calling it a Cyberage Student scheme,
the Bharatiya Janata Party government has made a budgetary
provision of over Rs 10 crore, covering around 11,000
students every year. The scheme however would begin with
only science stream students this year, to be extended
to all the streams from the next year.
The budget of Rs 3024 crore has this
time given special thrust on education, sports, art and
culture, announcing several schemes. It also includes
setting up of Sangeet Academy in memory of Gantapaswini
Mogubai Kurdikar, the great Goan artist, in view of producing
more Lata Mangeshkars and Kishori Amonkars and making
Goans proud of their cultural talent.
Perhaps this is the first budget where
the existing excise structure has been left untouched.
According to Parrikar, consistency and stability rather
than increased rates would ensure better collection of
revenue from the liquor sector.
"Though liquor is often associated with
instability, the excise policy pursued by me has remained
as stable as my government", commented Parrikar in a lighter
vein, while reading out the budget in the House.
The chief minister has however modified
the existing structure of sales tax, luxury tax and entry
tax, besides taking steps to increase the non-tax revenue.
The total additional resource mobilisation has thus been
Rs 330 crore, while showing budget deficit of only Rs
2.73 crore.
The BJP government has also assured to
prepare a comprehensive industrial policy by August, listing
out different sectors in the green, orange and red categories.
Stating that not a single industry in the red category
will be allowed in the tourist state, the budget also
announces several subsidy schemes for setting up industries
in interior villages, category-wise.
Besides making major budgetary provision
for creating infrastructural facilities like roads, bridges,
transport, power and even beach safety arrangements, the
budget proposes to create a corpus fund for marketing
Goa with private participation. The government plans to
contribute double the amount of contribution received
from the private sector.
While tall claims have been made by all
the governments in the past to develop eco-tourism and
adventure tourism in the state by exploring the interior
of the tourist state, Parrikar has now created separate
fund for the purpose, so that it is not diverted towards
beach tourism.
As no investment is attracted in the
information technology sector so far, Parrikar has assured
to present a comprehensive IT policy in the next session,
assuring several tax exemptions, subsidies, incentives
as well as basic requirements like connectivity and lease
rentals.
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