PANAJI
Goa has got a shot in the arm -- a Rs 386 crore special assistance for capital investment in the current fiscal.
Although this special scheme to boost capital investment by States was part of the announcements by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 2023-24 Union budget, the actual fund devolution was approved on Monday.
Goa's share of Rs 386 crore is part of a total Rs 56,415 crore approved by the Centre for several other States for capital investment under its ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24’ scheme.
Capital investment projects in diverse sectors like health, education, irrigation, water supply, power, roads and bridges which have already been planned and approved will benefit from this package from the Centre, the Ministry of Finance said.
The devolution of these funds is expected to enhance the project pace in these sectors, the finance ministry added.
The scheme was announced by Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2023-24 but it is not a grant. The special assistance is in the form of a 50-year interest free loan.
Apart from Goa, 15 other States have also got a similar assistance. Of these 15 States, Bihar (Rs 9,640 cr), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 7,850 cr), West Bengal (Rs 7,523 cr), Rajasthan (Rs 6,026 cr), Tamil Nadu (Rs 4,079 cr), Karnataka (Rs 3,647) and Gujarat (Rs 3,478 cr) cornered the lion's share.
Other States which have got allocations under this capital investment package include Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Sikkim and Telangana.
