Panaji, July 23, 2025: Goa Forward Party President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led state government, accusing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of presenting a “hollow and misleading” budget. Speaking during the Assembly session, Sardesai likened the budget to a “packet of chips — all air, no substance.”
“In one breath, the Chief Minister claims we have a ₹2,500 crore revenue surplus, and in the next, he’s borrowing ₹2,000 crore. Where’s the logic?” Sardesai questioned, highlighting what he described as clear contradictions in the state’s fiscal planning.
The Fatorda MLA also cast doubt on the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) figures presented in the budget, noting that they were inflated from ₹1.2 lakh crore to ₹1.41 lakh crore. He warned that such optimistic projections lacked credibility and were not grounded in economic reality.
“To meet this budget’s targets, Goa would need a growth rate of 21.74% as per the Ministry of Statistics — a figure that is clearly unrealistic,” Sardesai pointed out. “This kind of fiscal math just doesn’t add up.”
Criticizing the government’s borrowing pattern, he added, “If there is indeed a surplus, why is the government resorting to borrowing? This isn’t governance — it’s a gimmick.”
Sardesai concluded his remarks by calling the budget an exercise in optics rather than delivery, urging Goans to see through the numbers and demand accountability.
