Disappointing, says Ibobi on budget estimate
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2020: Ex-Chief Minister and Opposition leader Okram Ibobi has remarked that the budget estimate 2020-21 is a disappointing budget which would remain confined to Government files without any hope of implementation on ground.

Ibobi made this remark in the course of discussing the Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2020 in the State Assembly today.

After demands for grants of several departments were discussed separately during the last 11 working days of the State Assembly, the consolidated amount of Rs 21,224,30,03.331 crore was tabled as Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2020 .

Opening a debate on the Bill, O Ibobi stated that it would be very difficult to implement schemes/projects with the budget.

Maintaining that the budget is quite unrealistic, he, nonetheless, appealed to all Ministers not to be disheartened.

There was a Planning Commission during the time of UPA Government.

Now it has been replaced by the NITI Aayog.

When there was the UPA Government, the annual Central share and State share were divided into two separate columns.

But the budget estimate 2020-21 only shows the central share while leaving out the State share, Ibobi said.

The budget earmarks Rs 1200 crore for providing jobs to BPL families under MGNREGA but it does not show the State's matching share although a corpus fund of Rs 200 crore is reflected.

The State Government should produce 10 per cent of the Central share of Rs 1200 crore as its matching share, Ibobi asserted and asked the State Government whether it has any fund to produce the State's matching share.

Claiming that MGNREGS is one of the biggest schemes in the whole world, the ex-Chief Minister questioned as to why the State Government could not obtain even Rs 400 crore from MGNREGS while Meghalaya was able to obtain Rs 900 crore.

He asserted that benefits of several schemes can be delivered to beneficiaries directly through DBT if the job cards, Aadhaar cards and bank accounts of beneficiaries are linked.

Noting that 45/50 Central sponsored schemes including the smart city project are listed in the annual financial estimate, Ibobi said that the smart city project should be funded collectively by the Central Government and the State Government at the ratio of 50:50.If the Central Government releases Rs 7000 crore as first instalment for the many Central sponsored schemes, the State Government is required to produce Rs 700 crore as its matching share whereas there is only Rs 200 crore in the corpus fund, Ibobi pointed out.

He then asked the State Government from where it would pay for the State's matching shares and how it would seek second instalments.

Common people might have been rejoicing on hearing that a budget of over Rs 21,000 crore has been passed.

If the amounts needed for payment of salaries, pensions, interest and loan repayment are taken into account, very little money is left, Ibobi remarked.

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