Goa Budget 2022 to be presented on March 30, says newly sworn-in CM Pramod Sawant

Hours after Pramod Sawant took oath as the chief minister of Goa, the BJP leader said that the state budget will be tabled on March 30 while the assembly will be starting tomorrow.

The CM also thanked the people of Goa for giving BJP another opportunity.

"Our priority will be to restart mining in the state, generate employment and encourage the tourism sector," Pramod Sawant added.

"I'm thankful to the people of Goa for giving BJP another opportunity. Assembly will be starting tomorrow & Budget will be presented the day after tomorrow. Our priority will be to restart mining in the state, generate employment &encourage the tourism sector," Pramod Sawant was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Three-time MLA Sawant, who led the BJP to win 20 seats in the recently concluded elections to the 40-member Goa Assembly, was sworn in as the state's chief minister for the second time today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai administered the oath to Sawant (48) and eight other BJP MLAs as cabinet ministers in a ceremony held at Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee stadium at Bambolim near Panaji, four km from the Raj Bhavan. Over 10,000 people were present during the function.

Prime Minister Modi, Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Shripad Naik, BJP national president J P Nadda, Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar (who hails from Goa) and Maharashtra's former chief minister Devendra Fadanavis, who was the Goa election in-charge, were among those who attended the event.

This was the second time that Goa's chief minister was sworn in outside the Raj Bhavan. In 2012, Manohar Parrikar had taken oath as the CM at a ground in Campal area of the state capital Panaji after the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the House.

Sawant took the oath in Konkani language. This is his second term as the state's chief minister. He became the CM for the first time in March 2019 after the demise of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Besides Sawant, the others who took oath are - Vishwajit Rane, Mauvin Godinho, Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar, Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude and Atanasio Monserratte.