Union Budget 2026-27 : Goa completely ignored, reduced to a footnote : Chodankar

Goa Khabar : The Union Budget 2026-27 presented today by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has once again exposed the BJP-led Central Government’s utter disregard for the state of Goa, its people, and its unique developmental challenges.

In an 85-minute Budget speech, the Finance Minister mentioned 13 states and Union Territories by name. Goa was not one of them. Despite being India’s premier tourism destination, contributing significantly to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings and cultural identity, Goa was treated as if it does not exist.

NO SUPPORT FOR TOURISM, GOA’S ECONOMIC LIFELINE

Goa’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, yet the Budget offers no special package for tourism revival, no relief for small hotel owners, shack operators, taxi drivers, or tourism-linked workers who continue to struggle with unstable incomes and rising costs. The new tourism initiatives announced in the Budget — eco-tourism trails, bird-watching circuits, mountain trails — were all directed to other states. Goa, which carries the load of national tourism, received nothing. Adding insult to injury, the government has reduced TCS on overseas tour packages from 5-20% to just 2%, making it cheaper for Indians to holiday abroad rather than visit Goa.

NO RELIEF FOR MINING-DEPENDENT FAMILIES

Thousands of Goan families affected by prolonged mining disruptions continue to suffer without livelihood. The Budget announced Rare Earth
Corridors for Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala — but not for Goa. Vedanta’s Sesa Goa had specifically sought fiscal incentives for low-grade iron ore beneficiation, but this too was ignored. No roadmap has been shared for sustainable mining, alternative employment, or
compensation for displaced workers.

NO HIGH-SPEED RAIL, NO KONKAN RAILWAY UPGRADE

Seven high-speed rail corridors were announced — Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-
Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. Not a single corridor connects to Goa. Despite Goa CM Pramod Sawant himself requesting Konkan Railway redevelopment at the pre-budget consultation meeting, the Budget is completely silent on this critical lifeline.

NO SUPPORT FOR FISHERMEN AND COASTAL COMMUNITIES

Goa’s fishermen and coastal communities face rising fuel prices, declining fish catch, coastal erosion, and climate threats. While Rs 2,761 crore was allocated nationally for fisheries and turtle trail development was announced for the coasts of Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala, Goa’s coastline
was conveniently overlooked.

NO INFRASTRUCTURE, NO ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

Despite repeated demands, the Budget provides no special assistance for Goa’s crippling infrastructure bottlenecks — traffic congestion, public
transport gaps, and urban civic stress caused by heavy tourist inflow. No allocation was made for the newly created Kushavati district. Environmental protection, which is critical for a small and ecologically sensitive state like Goa, has been reduced to token statements with no dedicated funding.
It is deeply disappointing that Goa’s own CM Pramod Sawant has chosen to praise this Budget instead of fighting for the state’s rightful share. The people of Goa must ask: if the BJP government at the Centre ignores Goa when the BJP is in power both at the Centre and in the state, then who
will speak for Goa?

The Congress party strongly condemns this continued neglect.

Goa deserves more than empty slogans. It deserves fair support, dedicated funding, and a development model that protects its people, its ecology, and its identity. We will raise Goa’s rightful demands at every appropriate forum — in Parliament and on the streets.