Goa has already started direct cash transfers: Parrikar

"My government has within its first few months managed to bring in cent per cent ECS (Electronic Clearance Service) with regard to all government transactions, and Goa is probably the first state in the country to have achieved this," Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said at the 57th National Development Council meeting here.

Parrikar, an alumini of IIT-Powai, said during his tenure as chief minister in 2002 he had initiated the Dayananda Social Security Scheme for old-age, indigent citizens, widows, single women and specially-abled children wherein monthly pension was being deposited directly in their personal bank accounts.

The Centre has announced ambitious plans to roll-out the direct cash transfer scheme in 51 districts from January 1.

Parrikar said he had taken over the reins of the state at a time when it was debt-ridden and that he was determined to bring back the momentum by addressing the issues holding back the growth of the economy.

On the controversial issue of illegal mining, he said his government was committed to recover the losses and punish those who have indulged in "loot".

He said the Centre had earned revenue in the ratio of 7:1 from mining operations in comparison with the state government.

"Now when the state government is already burdened with more than 30 per cent revenue loss due to the closure of mining industry, entire burden of rehabilitating the people who have lost their livelihood due to closure of the mining industry is being put on the state government," he said.

He demanded that the Centre take up a sizeable burden in the initiative of the state government to take remedial measures to rehabilitate the people and come up with a special financial assistance package to share the grief of the State.

On transfer of officers by the Centre, he wanted reconstitution of the Joint Cadre Authority for managing the cadre in consultation with the state government.

"...Over time Ministry of Home Affairs has taken upon itself to unilaterally transfer officers without consultation with the other constituents of the AGMUT cadre. It is the legitimate aspiration of any State to have officers of competence and adequate seniority with knowledge of local conditions to manage affairs of the State," Parrikar said.