Goa, after becoming the first state in the country to complete 100% vaccination in the first round, will complete all its second doze vaccinations starting October 30, chief minister Pramod Sawant has said.

“Goa is the first state to provide 100% vaccinations and the state has provided 100% free treatment in private hospitals during the second wave of Covid-19. From October 30 Goa will complete all its promised second dose vaccinations.”

Sawant was speaking to Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now, during the webcast of the Visionary talk series held by the public policy and governance analysis platform.

He said that during the second wave, Goa ramped up its medical infrastructure by increasing its bed capacity, the number of beds with oxygen supply and LMO oxygen tents, and oxygen plants were set up. “We set up six oxygen plants using the PMO funds and another two plants through CSR. Two LMO tanks have been set up. A separate super-specialty hospital, a fully Covid-dedicated district hospital has been started.”

Watch the video:



Speaking on the state economy, he said Goa is the first state to have adopted and implemented financial reforms. Approximately Rs 500 crore has been paid through the RXIL platform to MSMEs. Goa has also been implementing the discounting of bills which is not only beneficial for MSMEs but also for other sectors. This year NABARD loans have increased from Rs 60 crore to Rs 500 crore in the state.

Sawant said, during the pandemic, Goa unveiled its long-awaited tourism policy, besides implementing the start-up policy, IT policy, Goa Telecom Infrastructure Policy, industrial and land revenue reforms and steps for ‘ease of doing business’.

On the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) making inroads in Goa, he said it could not get any benefit in the 2017 assembly elections. He said people of Goa are smart and not easily misled. They know how the AAP government is running in Delhi and how Covid management was a complete mess in the national capital.
 
Responding to a question on the AAP’s statements that it wants to clean Goa politics, Sawant said, “PM Modi has started Clean India Mission (Swatch Bharat Abhiyan) where the youth and women of the country have come together. The wind is blowing towards Mr. Modi. In Goa people are with Modi-ji and with the party (BJP)…  for cleaning of beaches and roads, cleaning agencies have been appointed, so they have no job of cleaning left here.”