NT NETWORK
PANAJI
With the state cabinet deciding to revert back the tourism promotion and marketing activities to the department of tourism, the government has now decided to adjust the current financial liability of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), which will be reappropriated against the ensuing budget for the year 2017-18.
The budgetary provision under the grant-in-aid is Rs 50 crore.
According to the department of tourism, the financial liability of the GTDC, a special purpose vehicle, to defray the costs on account of activities for promotion and marketing is Rs 34.36 crore.
The state cabinet, which had decided to modify the scope of work of GTDC and revert back tourism promotion and marketing activities to the department of tourism, was of the opinion that the government undertaking GTDC was exceeding its budgetary provision every year.
“The balance of the funds after adjusting the current liability of the GTDC will be reappropriated against the budget head controlled by the department of tourism by reopening the discontinued units of appropriation under the revenue expenditure budget head such as tourism, tourist infrastructure, other expenditure, traditional festival programmes, advertising and publicity, professional services, participation in international travel markets, foreign travel expenses,” the cabinet note stated.
Sources in the finance department said that in order to curtail the expenditure, which has been incurred by the GTDC, the government has decided to revert back all the activities of promotion and marketing of Goa tourism to the department of tourism.
According to sources, the finance department has raised objection to the expenditure done by GTDC for the last few years in the name of promotion and marketing activities.
When ‘The Navhind Times’ tried to find out the exact grounds behind the government decision, it was learnt that the GTDC was exceeding its annual budgetary provision on promotion and marketing of Goa tourism. However, other sources in the government argued that there were lapses on the part of the department of tourism, as it was not releasing full amount of Rs 50 crore every year, though the GTDC was spending money assuming full budgetary provision for a financial year.
Sources said that Minister for Tourism Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaonkar, who is a MGP MLA, wanted control over GTDC, which is being headed by BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral. Azgaonkar had a discussion with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on overspending by GTDC.
