— Says Alliance Partners Like Bihar got the chunk, Goa was left High & Dry
— Questions about what happened to CMs proposals of Metro and additional funds allocation
— No clarity on Income Tax Slabs Yet, he says
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao says Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has disappointed Goa as the Union Budget has nothing for the Coastal State.
“The Main Engine seems to have forgotten the Engine in Goa. While alliance partners like Bihar have got the chunk of Budget announcement, Goa has been seemingly overlooked,” he reacted.
Alemao questioned what happened to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s proposal for a Metro and additional funds for Goa for which he had met the Union Finance Minister as well as other cabinet ministers in Delhi.
“Goa needs additional funds for saving Mhadei and water, and after pipelines, sewerage connections, better internal roads, better public transport, improved education and health infrastructure besides saving coastal areas from climate change,” he said.
“Either the state has failed to present its issues effectively, or the centre has simply ignored them,” Alemao said, emphasizing the absence of support for Goa’s tourism and fishing industries in the budget.
Talking on income tax rebates for up to 11 lakhs, he said the Union Budget 2025 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman harps on just one thing the Income Tax slab increased to 12 lakhs and has people confused.
“There is no clarity whether the tax slab has been increased only to those who earn up to 4 lakhs or those earning 12 lakhs. The announcement is vague as of now because the news reports suggest you have to pay 10 per cent tax on income of 11 lakhs,” he stated.
