Rupesh Samant

Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jan 3: Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), on Friday held Pramod Sawant-led government responsible for the fiscal indiscipline due to which the financial health of the state has deteriorated.

MGP president Deepak Dhavalikar, addressing a press conference in Panaji, castigated Sawant-led government for its failure to govern the state.

“The finances of the state were in doldrums when our government led by BJP took over in 2012. But then chief minister Manohar Parrikar had brought in fiscal discipline to put the finances back on track,” said Dhavalikar, a former State Cooperative Minister in Parrikar-led cabinet.

MGP which had supported BJP even after 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election was dropped from the cabinet later when Sawant took over the reins of the state.

Dhavalikar said that Sawant-led government is 'ignorant' about the financial discipline due to which the state has been on a borrowing spree.

“The current government (Sawant-led) has borrowed Rs 2,000 crore during its tenure. There will be a time when the government will have to borrow from the people to run the state,” he said.

Dhavalikar also questioned the spendings from the state coffers by State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on his foreign junkets.

“While the government is financing unwanted junkets of tourism minister, on the other hand, the prices on essential commodities like milk has been increasing,” he said pointing out that milk prices have been hiked recently pinching the pockets of common people.

Dhavalikar alleged that the state government has been tendering different developmental works, but work orders are not issued due to lack of finances.

He claimed that several industries in the state have closed down due to recession because of which the GST collection in the state has slumped down.

He also demanded a ban on Electronic Dance Festival Sunburn claiming that drugs were openly sold in the event.