Mining debt-relief scheme gets extension of 12 mths

MAPUSA
With elections at the doorsteps, the State government has decided to extend the debt relief scheme for mining-affected for another 12 months and hike salaries of lecture-based teachers of high school, higher secondary and vocational teachers even as the proposal to set up an integrated resort development project at Dhargali was deferred after Deputy CM and Pernem MLA Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar objected to the plan.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant chaired, in what could be the last cabinet meeting of his government, on Monday.

The cabinet approved the re-introduction of “debt relief scheme for mining-affected borrowers of financial institutions” for a further period of 12 months.

The government had introduced the scheme in 2014 in order to assist the borrowers who had availed credit facilities for the acquisition of barges, trucks, tippers and mining machinery/equipment operating in the mining sector from various financial institutions.

It was initially applicable for six months but regularly extended thereafter.

The cabinet also approved to enhance the remuneration for lecture basis teachers teaching in the higher secondary schools from Rs 250 to Rs 400 per lecture.

Similarly, the government also decided to enhance the remuneration for lecture basis teachers engaged in high schools who were drawing Rs 150 per lecture to Rs 300 per lecture.

The remuneration of vocational teachers employed on contract basis has also been enhanced to Rs 25,000 per month with yearly increment of 5 per cent per annum for a contract period of five years.

The government has also passed the new house building loan for government employees to be implemented through the EDC.

As per the scheme, government employees will be able to buy land and also construct a house by procuring a loan from EDC at 2 per cent interest rate.

The decision to allow Delta Corp to set up an integrated resort development project at Dhargali had to be differed after Deputy CM and Pernem MLA, Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar expressed his strong objection to the proposal.

As per the proposal Delta Corp was supposed to set up a casino, hotel, convention centre, waterpark and other projects in an area of around 3.82 lakh sq metres of land in Dhargali.

The Investment Promotion Board had approved the project and needed a cabinet nod to take it forward.