PANAJI: Governor Mridula Sinha’s address to the Goa legislative Assembly painted a rosy picture of the tourism sector quoting an 8.45 per cent rise in footfalls even as the sector’s stakeholders are crying hoarse about a decline. Sinha, who read the first 14 pages of her written speech before retiring and Speaker Pramod Sawant announcing pages 15 to 32 deemed as read, said in the first half (January-June 2018) there is an overall increase of 8.45 percent in tourist arrivals -- 7.05 per cent spike of domestic tourist flow and foreign tourist by 17 per cent.
She also quoted a decline of nearly 7.5 per cent in the crime rate and a 4 per-cent spike in crime detection rates.
On the mining sector, the governor said her Government has collected Rs 22.31 crore as royalty on extraction of major minerals during the year till December 2018 through e-auction and sale of 11.47 MT of ore. In the 2015-18 period Rs 187.42 crore had been collected as district mineral fund, she said. Under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, forest department has successfully carried out erection of 6 kms solar power fence in Ibrampur village of Pernem taluka which minimised human-animal conflict in the region, she said, adding that under Dayanand Social Security Scheme Rs 275.89 crore was disbursed to 1.3 lakh beneficiaries.
Revenue collections of GST and excise also recorded a 9 per cent and 23 per cent growth respectively till December 2018.
The investment promotion board also approved 166 projects in principal which have potential to employ 22,586 persons, she added.
