Goa, the country’s smallest state in terms of area, is traditionally known as a tourist paradise for its natural scenery and unique beaches. But the state offers much more than sun, sea and sand. Per capita income of the state is among the highest. It is also among the top performers on other key socio-economic indicators.

“Goa has favourable business environment. Our start-up policy aims to create jobs and make Goa the most preferred start-up destination in India,” Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said at an event recently outlining his vision of accelerating growth and development of the state. “We are making policies to make Goa attractive for investors and tourists,” he added.

Clearly, the focus is not just on tourism but also on attracting investments in other sectors. With four commendable projects Goa is categorised as Catching Up state in the 2019 SKOCH State of Governance ranking. Commendable steps have been taken in the areas of police and safety, disaster management and e-Governance.

Traffic Sentinel Scheme

The government has launched Traffic Sentinel Scheme with a view to enable and encourage common citizen to participate and contribute in traffic management. Under this scheme the citizens can get traffic rule violators punished by sharing their photos with the state police department. Photos of the pre-defined traffic violations are shared through WhatsApp.

‘Safer Schools Safer India’ programme

Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services and Underwriters Laboratories supported by Directorate of Education has introduced a programme called ‘Safer Schools Safer India’. It seeks to train primary school students about the fire and electrical safety. The training modules used during the training sessions have proved very effective in cultivating awareness among students about safety and security.

Safe Goa 24*7 Emergency Monitoring System

Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services has launched Safe Goa 24*7 Emergency Monitoring System.

Election Management System

Goa State Election Commission has introduced Election Management System, a real-time electronic data processing software designed for conducting and monitoring the whole election process and to conduct Local body elections. The new system has enabled a real-time data recording for pre-poll, poll and post-poll activities including real-time information, communication and its dissemination.