from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Jan 22: Goa Governor S C Jamir on Monday said that Goa is well equipped to face the concern arising from international terrorism which has started echoing on our shores.

"While there does not appear to be a proximate threat, the phenomenon may not be dismissed lightly either," Goa Govenor said in his address to the state legislative assembly this afternoon.

The governor was addressing members of legislative assembly on the first day of four-day-long winter session, which began today. "The government is alive to the problem and has equipped itself to deal with it," Jamir said in his one-hour-long customary address.

"Special three coastal security police stations have been made functional. For this, Government has sanctioned 366 additional posts under coastal security," he said. "These police stations will be equipped with 19 boats, of which nine, will be high-speed boats, which will patrol the 105-km-long Goa coastline," the Govenor said.

Even as main opposition, the BJP, sported black badges and displayed anti-regional plan 2011 placards in the house, the regional plan issue figured prominently in the Governor's speech who said that the government will design a new regional plan 2017.

"My government has decided to de-notify the regional plan 2011 and engage an expert agency on the recommendation of town and country planning board for a new regional plan 2017," he said.

The Governor, however, said that the Regional plan 2011 was `notified after following the due procedure.' "However, in deference to the public demand, my government has decided to de-notify it," Jamir said.

The main opposition today sported black badges on their left arm and sat in the state legislative assembly with the placards seeking `scrapping of regional plan 2011'.

During his one-hour-long speech, the Governor said that the exercise to design new plan may take around four months and it will be cleared by Government before it is promulgated.

Speaking about the fiscal reforms,  the Governor pointed out to the Goa state fiscal responsibility and budget management act 2006. "It will help in prudent and sustainable debt management and also transparency in the fiscal operation of the Government," he said.

"The act sets the target to reduce of fiscal deficit to GSDP to three percent by March 31, 2009. This enactment makes the government eligible for consolidated debt relief from the center as per Tenth finance commission recommendations which will be to the tune of Rs 250 crore," the Govenor said.