Repaying loans taken by previous Goa govts: CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said his government was not on a borrowing spree and was in fact repaying loans taken by previous dispensations. He said the state government was borrowing Rs 200-300 crore every month but was paying back an equal amount, many of these loans taken as long as 15 years ago.

Speaking at Opa village in North Goa's Ponda, Sawant said, "It is not that only my government has been borrowing.

It was being done even in the past. I have been paying loans which were taken 15 years ago. The repayment installment of the loans procured in the past is around Rs 2,500 crore per annum. Per month, though we borrow Rs 200-300 crore, we repay an equal amount as installment," he said.

READ | Nadda Dares Rahul To Speak 10 Sentences On CAA, Says He Is Misleading Country

Speaking at the function to mark the augmentation of capacity of a water treatment plant, the CM said providing water 24/7 was not possible currently as further augmentation of resources is needed.

"The state bears Rs 15 per cubic litre as cost to treat water but we give it to customers for Rs 2.5 per cubic litre. There are instances where people use treated water to wash vehicles or irrigate farms, because they don't know its value," he said.

Sawant said abandoned mining pits are being used for rainwater harvesting.

READ | Have Directed SAI To Dispose Pending Sexual Harassment Complaints In 4 Weeks: Rijiju

READ | Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Asks Govt Officials To Treat People With Dignity