Goa to have a balanced budget despite mining crisis: Parrikar

Goa government's forthcoming budget will be balanced although the state is witnessing financial strains due to mining crisis, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Wednesday. The budget, to be presented on March 18, will not have constraints even though the mining crisis is looming large over the state, Parrikar told reporters here.

"There will be enough (of funds) for all the projects. I won't say that I would be able to give more than sufficient but there would be sufficient," he said. Goa is facing a direct cut down of Rs 1,000 crore in the form of mining royalty collection after the extraction and transportation of ore was banned by the Supreme Court, owing to the allegations of illegal mining.

Parrikar said the strain on state's treasury, due to stoppage of mining activity, is because the current government was busy fulfilling promises made by the erstwhile Congress-led government.