Centre rules out special category status for Goa
PTI, NEW DELHI | 16 May 2012 19:19 IST
Centre has ruled out granting special status to Goa, but is examining similar demands from four other states - Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
This was made clear in the Parliament today.
"In case of Goa, it has not been found feasible to accept this demand. Demands of other states however are under examination in the Planning Commission," the minister of state for planning Ashwani Kumar said in a reply to Lok Sabha.
To a question on whether there is any provision for special assistance to these states, the minister said Plan assistance is provided to states through the central assistance for State Plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
"The Union government also provides assistance for Special Plan for Bihar under the state component of the Backward Regions Grand Fund," he said to a question on assistance to the state.
"An amount of Rs. 8,495.08 crore has been released for Special Plan for Bihar up to March 31, 2012. In case of Odisha, funds are provided under Special Plan for KBK (Kalahandi, Balangir and Koraput) districts and an amount of Rs. 1,850 crore has been released up to March 31, 2012," the minister said.
The special category status is granted by the National Development Council on the basis of certain criterion.
These include difficult geography, low population density, location with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of state finances.
There is nothing new in this..It is as expected.....Goa has become like an hen laying golden eggs for the Centre...Huge one way flow of revenue for years... and that too without any grudge or fuss....Our brothers and sisters are working on ships and elsewhere and sending huge remittance back home...then some money is generated of mining and some out of Tourism ....rest if any shortfall can be made good by raising Loans...
..Earlier we were ruled by Foreigners and now from Delhi....Very little difference...We need to wake up if we have some self respect or self esteem left in us...