Special Correspondent
Panaji
Goa will benefit from the Union budget in sectors like pharmaceuticals and fisheries, said Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada.
“Goa, which accounts 12 per cent of drug manufacturing in India, will benefit from the Rs 2,143 crore worth Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme aimed to promote, develop and boost local manufacture of quality drugs and reduce the dependence on pharma imports,” he said on Thursday.
Prasada also highlighted that in the fisheries industry, the budget supports creation of fishing hubs and cold storage facilities by launching a sub-scheme of the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana with a targeted investment of Rs 6,000 crore to further enable activities of fishermen, fish vendors, and micro as well as small enterprises, for improving the value chain efficiency and expanding the market.
The Union minister said that the budget will also help Goa in sports by assisting in setting up of football training centres, as also in the field of entertainment by creating a film hub.
“The budget will focus on job creation mainly through the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME),” he said. Prasada also said that tourism, which is the flagship sector for Goa in terms of revenue generation, will receive a fillip through the budget, as top 50 tourist destinations would be developed in partnership with state governments through a challenge mode.
He said that intensive skill development programmes for the youth, focusing on hospitality management and related fields will be helpful to Goa tourism, besides streamlining of e-visa facilities, redevelopment of eco-tourism as well as heritage sites under PPP, and cruise tourism expansion.
Replying to a question, Prasad said that the Finance Minister by way of proactive inflation management has managed to keep the country’s inflation within the manageable range at 4.2 per cent. Prasada also spoke at an interactive session held by BJP in Vasco.
