PANAJI
Goa State has been awarded the best-performing State among the small states three years in a row. Puducherry has come in 2nd place while Delhi has come in third place.
Goa has also been awarded the best-ranked State when it comes to economy, infrastructure and tourism.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has thanked India Today team for giving award to Goa. He said that he is happy about getting the State on top position during his tenure as Chief Minister.
“The award has been given based on performance for the period of April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. I took the oath as Chief Minister on March 15, 2019,” said Sawant.
Goa has managed to retain the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) despite its revenue taking a hit because of the March 2017 ban on iron ore mining.
In 2019-20, the State received $64.5 billion in FDI, 0.04 per cent more than the previous year, the highest among small states. The State’s economic survey of 2019-20 shows that it registered 12.14 per cent growth in the gross state domestic product (GSDP) in 2017-18 over the previous fiscal.
In 2018, Goa had 46.90 banks per 100,000 people, 62.5 vehicles per km, 10 flights for 1 million people, 11 post offices per 100,000 people, and 802 mobile phones per 1,000 people. With 2,936 kw power available per capita, Goans are considered among the highest power consumers in the country.
Goa is number 1 in tourism with better air, road and water connectivity and a tourist-friendly atmosphere. The State has spent Rs 273 per tourist that landed in the State in 2018-19 on infrastructure. It focused on attracting tourists beyond its magnificent beaches with a thrust on adventure and medical tourism.
