Goa Budget to focus on agriculture: CM

The Goa government, going in for a vote-on-account for four months, will present its annual Budget for 2007-08 on Wednesday.

The Budget will be passed during the monsoon session after the formation of the new Assembly, as elections in the state are due in May.

The five-day session, which is being convened just before the elections, would be important for both the state government and the Opposition.

"The Budget would be agriculture-oriented and pro-women," said chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, who also holds the finance portfolio.

However, government officials would consult the Election Commission to know its view on the presentation of the Budget in view of the Assembly elections in the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to corner the Congress-led government and expose its failures in its campaigns.

"There are a number of issues. We are all set to expose the government for the blatant lies that it had been telling all these days," said opposition leader Manohar Parrikar.

The five-day session is expected to see the presentation of three bills, namely the Goa Municipal Amendment Bill, Goa Town and Country Planning Amendment Bill, Prohibition of Ragging Bill, Goa Agriculture Producer Marketing Bill (development and regulation) and the Goa Building Control (lease, rent and deviation) Bill, according to the officials.