PANAJI
Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission Dr Arvind Panagariya on Thursday said Goa has pitched for a Rs 32,746 crore share from the Centre's divisible pool of tax and cess revenues.
Panagariya who addressed the media after the Commission's marathon three-hour meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, some of his cabinet colleagues, Chief Secretary Dr Candivelou and other senior bureaucrats, also said that Goa officially placed the demand that 50% instead of the earlier 41% of the divisible pool of revenues be devolved to the States.
"Goa is the 14th State to make this demand to raise the States' share of the divisible pool of revenues from 41% to 50%," he said, adding that a fifteenth State has sought that it be raised to 45%.
Flanked by other members of the Commission, Panagariya said Goa has also demanded that weightage to the income-distance parameter in the devolution of funds be diluted from 45% to 30%.
At the meeting, Dr Candivelou made a presentation comprising some 100-plus slides at the end of which Goa sought Rs 32,746 crore from the Centre’s divisible tax revenue pool, including special State specific grants for 13 projects.
Panagariya meanwhile told reporters at the press conference that the State also sought funds and grants citing the challenges it faces in tackling Climate Change related erosion along its 105 kilometer coastline.
Large-scale immigration and a significantly large floating population due to its tourism sector was another factor cited by the State to seek additional special grants, Panagariya said.
Transport Minister, Mauvin Godinho, WRD Minister Subash Shirodkar, Revenue Minister Babush Monserrate, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai and Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar were part of the meeting with the Finance Commission.
