PANAJI
It may take a 'miracle' for the promised Rs 300 crore 'special grant' from the Centre for the upcoming decennial Exposition of the Sacred relics of St Francis Xavier to fructify going by the tone and tenor of a letter written to South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes by Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary.
"The honourable Minister of State for Finance has given a detailed reply as to the amount of funds released to the State and is subtly saying so in no uncertain terms that the State government should manage the requirements of funds for the Exposition from the funds already received from the Centre," Fernandes said.
Fernandes had written to the Union Finance Ministry in connection with the Rs 300 crore special grant that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had formally requested with the Centre for the Exposition.
Chaudhary in his reply letter to Fernandes has said that tax devolution to Goa has increased from Rs 2,480 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 4,708.37 crore in 2024-25.
He also said, that grants-in-aid from the Centre to Goa had increased from Rs 566.00 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1,506.57 crore in 2024-25.
Citing other schemes-related fund devolution, Chaudhury said in his reply to Fernandes, that there is transfer of "substantial resources" to Goa from the Union government to meet the financial needs of the State.
