E-Paper
Haryana budget estimates: Assembly committees recommend measures to improve govt functioning
The eight ad hoc committees constituted by the Haryana assembly speaker to consider demands for grants on the 2022-23 budget estimates have made a slew of recommendations to improve the functioning of the state government
The eight ad hoc committees constituted by the Haryana assembly speaker to consider demands for grants on the 2022-23 budget estimates have made a slew of recommendations to improve the functioning of the state government.
The reports of these ad hoc committees were tabled in the assembly on Monday when the House assembled after recess.
‘Study on tax collection charges, VAT on fuel’
The committee considering the demands pertaining to excise and taxation has recommended that a comparative study on tax collection charges be conducted (tax collection per rupee spent).
“By comparing this expenditure with other states, a report should be presented before the government and assembly speaker to ascertain whether we are spending more or less on tax collection as compared to other states,” the recommendation said.
The committee also recommended that value added tax (VAT) levied on petrol and diesel be compared with neighbouring states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to find out whether there was a significant drop in the sales of petrol and diesel in Haryana, resulting in huge tax loss to the state government.
“A study should be done and its report should be presented to the government and the speaker,” the committee said.
‘Defect liability period of roads should be displayed’
This committee also considered the demands pertaining to building and roads and recommended that defect liability period of the roads should be displayed on the signboard along with the name of the contractor so that the public can file a complaint if the road breaks before the defect liability period.
The committee also observed that this department is the “credibility saving” department of the state government and if a road broke soon then the image of the government gets tarnished.
Considering the demands of co-operation department, the committee recommended that the marketing strategy for products manufactured by HAFED be strengthened and advertisements should be done aggressively.
‘Subsidised power for schools, e-scooter for girls’
Another committee which considered the demands pertaining to education recommended separate budgetary provision for proper electricity supply to the schools and provision of generators or invertors in the schools. It also recommended that the electricity bill be charged at subsidised rates for schools.
This committee also recommended that the construction of new schools should be Divyang-friendly. The committee also proposed that electric scooters be provided to girl students from economically-weaker section of government technical institutions.
‘Implement Smart City projects at the earliest’
Another ad hoc committee which considered demands pertaining to urban development observed that the work of Smart City project is slow. It recommended that the department should implement the project at the earliest.
It also recommended that garbage collection in Faridabad and Gurugram allotted to Eco-Green City should be cancelled and ward-wise work be allotted to any other agency to avoid monopoly.
Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta said reports of the ad hoc committees will be forwarded to the chief minister (who is also the Haryana finance minister). “The MLAs can speak on the recommendations made by the committees in their reports,” Gupta said.
