 "Goa: BJP welcomes budget, Congress critical")
The Goa BJP Thursday welcomed the announcement of an IIT, an AIIMS and a convention centre for Goa in the union budget 2014-15, but the Congress criticised the budget for serving purpose of "private sector".
BJP MP from South Goa Narendra Savoikar said the setting up of an Indian Institute of Technology, an All India Institute of Medical Sciences facility and a convention centre to host the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) were great news for the state.
"The budget encompasses all the sections and states and initiates their development. I welcome and support the initiatives and the budget of Modiji and his government."
"It focuses on youth, underprivileged women and development of all sectors," Savoikar said.
The Congress, however, claimed that the budget was aimed at pleasing the private sector in India's commercial capital, Mumbai.
"Only the interests of the Mumbai private sector are looked after well," Congress Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik said.
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Commenting on the proposed IIT and convention centre, Naik said Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had refused to allot land to a National Institute of Technology and this attitude could impede the setting up of the IIT in the state.
"The chief minister should demand an amendment to the central legislation and demand at least 10 percent reservation for Goans (in the IIT)," Naik said.
The setting up of a convention centre on a public private partnership basis was not a grand concession, he added.
Congress state spokesman Durgadas Kamat said despite the hype created by the state BJP, there was no financial concession or a relief package made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for those who have lost jobs due to the mining ban.
"There is no assurance on mining. The BJP has used their marketing skill to fool the people of state with regards to financial relief or an economic package if Modi came to power," Kamat said.