Govt to focus on timely submission of UCs: Dy CM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 21 2017:
Informing that the State Government has been facing a problem of inability to submit utilisation certificates in time and convert Abstract Contingency Bill (AC Bill) to Detail Countersigned Contingency Bill (DCC Bill), Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Y Joykumar has stated that the Government would pay extra attention towards mitigating this problem .
Joining discussion on Budget Estimates 2017-18 in the State Assembly today, Y Joykumar said that the State Government was unable to submit utilisation certificates to the Centre in time for the past 10 years .
As the Government of India would not sanction any further instalment of development funds, if utilisation certificates for funds sanctioned earlier are not submitted, the Finance Minister pledged that no utilisation certificates would be kept pending and maximum efforts would be invested to convert AC Bill into DCC Bill .
To ensure that benefits of welfare schemes reach all beneficiaries, DBT has been introduced in the State after the State Cabinet adopted a decision to this effect .
Admitting that the Budget Estimates have a deficit of Rs 851 crore, the Finance Minister exuded confidence that the deficit can be recuperated to some extent as GST Act has been enforced .
The Government would spare no efforts to bring transparency and achieve the status of a welfare State, Joykumar added .
Chief Minister N Biren stated that the Budget Estimates were prepared as per rules and no one should try to project it in wrong light .
The Government has taken note of the observations that it acted in haste while implementing the 100 days programme and that it differentiated between ruling and Opposition parties, Biren said .
The first priority of the Government is to plug the trust deficit among different communities and ensure peaceful co-existence, stated the Chief Minister .
Pledging that his Government would never compromise on corruption and make the State corruption free, Biren sought cooperation of all the House Members toward this end .
Earlier, MLA K Meghachandra remarked that budget tabled by the Finance Minister had neither direction nor vision.
The budget does not reflect clearly the key areas where major departments would work for speedy development of the State.
As such, people have nothing to expect from this year's budget, Meghachandra said .
He went on to question as to why the budget does not reflect the economic packages announced by the Chief Minister for some hill districts .
Maintaining that the budget is full of loopholes, the Opposition demanded a review of the budget .
MLA K Ranjit remarked that the budget is bereft of any target.
The BJP-led alliance does not have a name nor does it have a common minimum programme .
Ranjit further asked if BJP would still continue with their alliance with NPF whose primary agenda is unification of Naga inhabited areas .
Pointing out that most of the newly created districts have been inaugurated, Ranjit asked the Government when would Kakching district be inaugurated and where its headquarters would be located.
Even as Opposition MLA N Loken remarked that the budget would not deliver any good to the people, MLA P Saratchandra claimed that the Government has been working with transparency to bring uniform development across the hills and valley .
Later, the House unanimously passed the Budget Estimates.