No dearth of funds with govt, Centre’s approach obstructionist: J’khand minister
Jharkhand's finance minister accuses the Centre of bias against non-BJP states in tax disbursal, asserting the state has sufficient funds for welfare schemes.
Jharkhand finance minister Radha Krishna Kishore accused the Centre of acting in a bipartisan manner with non-BJP ruled states in terms of disbursal of share in taxes and grants, even as the former underlined that there was no dearth of funds in the state’s coffers.
In his reply to the discussion on the second supplementary budget worth ₹7,721.25 crore, passed with voice vote in absence of opposition members who walked out, the finance minister also said due to better fiscal management the state, if required, had enough room for market borrowing, as permissible under the Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management Act 2003.
“The Centre has to pay ₹47,040 crore as share in tax and ₹17,057 as grants-in aid. If the two heads are taken together, ₹28,863 crore is still outstanding till November 30. They allege that we have not implemented the ₹450 per LPG cylinder scheme as promised. There are 6.5 million beneficiaries under the Ujawala scheme in the state. The total payout for this scheme would be ₹2,100 crore. We are ready to give it, provided the Centre disburses our funds. They are doing it because we are not a BJP-ruled state,” the minister said.
On the issue of the state government reportedly running short of funds due to expenditure on its flagship welfare scheme like Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojna, giving ₹2,500 per month to around 5.8 million women in the state, Kishore quashed the allegations underlying there was no dearth of funds with any department of the government.
“As per our annual budget, we are spending ₹91,000 on all development work and welfare schemes which include Maiyan Yojna, as against ₹51,000 crore we are spending against establishment cost. Moreover, due to our professional fiscal management, our market borrowings is only at 2.2 % of the SGDP, which is lower than the 3% cap fixed by the FRBM Act. If required we can still borrow around ₹16,000 crore and utilise then in meeting the expenses,” Kishore said.
The minister was responding to issues raised by the BJP members during the discussion on the supplementary budget. BJP chief whip Naveen Jaiwasl said the state government had failed to implement the seven major promises it made during the election including higher MSP for paddy and additional new crops and giving subsidised gas cylinders to all.
Leader of oppsotion Babulal Marandi said, “On one hand the funds are lying unspent, on the other hand you are bringing supplementary budget. Your are not being able to provide funds for various works including welfare schemes like scholarships to school students.”
The lone legislator of the JD(U), an ally of the BJP, Jamsedhpur legislator Saryu Roy questioned the rationale behind the second supplementary budget when no scheme had been launched by the government.
