Sandesh Prabhudesai
25 May 1999
Banning conversion of agricultural land, developing Goa as an
international shopping centre like Dubai, making it a plastic-free state, restricting its
cabinet to only eight members and holding long-awaited Zilla Panchayat polls within six
months are the major highlights of the election manifesto released by the Bharatiya Janata
Party here.
Sushma Swaraj, former union minister, while releasing the manifesto for
Goa elections here commented that the 45-page studied document presented by the BJP as an
‘agenda for the new millennium’ has proved that the party has concrete plans to
develop Goa, unlike other parties.
Manohar Parrikar, architect of the manifesto, says his upcoming party
in the tourist state would give major stress on the issues relating to employment,
infrastructure, education, law and order and corruption, if brought to power. They made a
debut with four legislators only in the last Assembly.
The five-page long proposals on finance for bringing Goa out from the
debt trap suggests annual additional revenue generation to the tune of Rs 150 crore during
the ninth five year plan as the state would require Rs 750 crore for infrastructural
development alone.
In order to achieve the target, the BJP promises to generate Rs 120
crore by prudent financial planning and remaining Rs 30 crore by cutting down on wasteful
expenditure. In the background of Goa having jumbo cabinets of 12 to 14 for the last nine
years, the cabinet of eight is part of this plan.
The BJP’s endeavour to restructure the whole sales tax policy also
includes their principled stand not to promote liquor industry by granting sales tax
exemption while it would also generate revenue of Rs 10 crore annually. They also plan to
prevent excise duty leakage to the tune of Rs 10 crore annually in the liquor industry.
While the state would lose around Rs 28 crore if the BJP implements its
promise to scrap additional ST policy, the party has also proposed an alternate plan for
generating additional revenue to the tune of Rs 324 crore by introducing entry tax, energy
tax, toll tax, additional ST bonus and registration fees for dealers.
In order to tackle the increasing unemployment problem in the tourist
state, the BJP also promises 6000 jobs as an annual feature while also providing 18,000
government jobs by 2006. However, the party also proposes to reduce the retirement age to
58 years and a golden handshake for those retiring at the age of 52 years.
Giving equal stress on infrastructural development worth over Rs 1000
crore, the saffron party plans to corporatise distribution network of power and roads and
bridges as well as setting up the state water grid. They however intend stopping
privatisation of power generation till detailed study is conducted once again.
While preparing negative list of industries Goa does not need, its main
thrust appears to be on information technology, setting up international trade fair - cum
- convention centre, promoting export-oriented agro industry and promoting tourism as the
prime industry.
On the environmental front, besides assuring pollution-free industries
and making the state plastic-free, several promises have also been made to overcome the
mining pollution and its effects on the local populace in the hinterland, realising that
it is a major pollution menace in the tourist state.
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