More private sector participation in the social sector is likely in the healthcare sector in Goa. The state government is actively considering tapping the private sector to improve health facilities in the state, chief minister, Digambar Kamat, said during his visit here. Also, the government is planning to launch a universal medical scheme soon to provide better health facilities to the state which has a huge tourist inflow.
Kamat said his government would work to make Goa a model state with high focus on knowledge and tourism. He requested the Planning Commission for additional support in improving the sewerage system and road network to meet pressure due to increased tourist flow.
The Planning Commission has allocated an Annual Plan size of Rs of 1,737.65 crore, including additional central assistance of Rs 35 crore for projects of special assistance to the state. The outlay for 2008-09 marks an increase of 21.51% over this fiscal?s Rs 1,430 crore.
Kamat said women self-help groups were being encouraged to take up income-generating activities. To achieve higher growth rate, the state would focus on industry, food processing and agro-based industries, IT & IT-enabled services, pharmaceuticals, bio-tech industries and tourism.
He said against a growth rate of 6.9% reached during Ninth Plan period, Goa had recorded a growth of 8.4% in Tenth Plan. The state aims at a growth of 12.1% during the Eleventh Plan, which would include agricultural growth of 7.7%, industry at 15.7% and services at 9%.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, complimented the state for its impressive achievements, both in social sector and economy. He said the state?s economy had shown a trend growth rate of over 10% per annum which clearly showed that the state was ready to leap forward to the next stage of development and aim at achieving higher standards of development and social justice.
Ahluwalia said the social indicators of the state, like literacy, birth rate, death rate and infant mortality rate were ?very impressive?. The state?s per capita income was not only highest in the country but almost three times the national average. However, Ahluwalia asked the state to address the issue of ?significant? gender gap and high drop-out rates at the secondary level of education.