Thaindian News

Panaji, Jan 25 (IANS) Goa’s industry captains, in their pre-budget memorandum to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, have attached a quote on failed promises from former finance minister P. Chidambaram’s budget speech - chiding the former about the state’s track record in implementing proposed schemes. “Outlays do not necessarily mean outcomes… the people of the country are concerned with outcomes,” the memorandum signed by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) vice president Manguirish Pai Raikar says, quoting Chidambaram and gently reminding Kamat that several proposals mooted by him in last year’s budget were yet to hit the implementation stage.

“Many of your good proposals have not reached implementation stage,” the memorandum submitted to Kamat earlier this week states.

Some of Kamat’s promises made in his last budget, but which remain unfulfilled, include the delay in constructing a second greenfield airport at the Mopa plateau 40 km from here, construction of promised bridges, four-laning of state’s roads, setting up of a state maritime board and logistics hubs, among several others.

The apex trade body in the state has also criticised the Goa government for not doing enough to control illegal mining in the state.

Not just the industry, but civic society groups as well as the opposition have repeatedly heckled the Kamat-led administration for failing to deliver expansive promises and implement policy decisions on wide ranging issues.

“Illegal mining is creating huge and irreparable damage to the state’s ecology. Illegal mining should be stopped forthwith, with legal provisions for stringent punishment for all those involved in illegal mining,” Raikar said in the pre-budget memorandum.

According to leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar, illegal mining accounts for nearly 18 percent of the Rs.6,000 crore open-cast iron and manganese ore mining operations in south-eastern Goa.

Digambar Kamat, who is also the state’s mining minister, has been accused of shielding illegal mining operations along with several other cabinet ministers over the last three years.

The GCCI, as well as the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), has raised serious concerns about illegal mining in Goa in the past, with the former imploring Kamat to act against the menace in the pre-budget memorandum submitted to the state government last year too.