Rs 113.34 Cr marked for ADCs Budget stresses on agriculture, rural development
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 26 2015 :
Against the State's plan outlay of Rs 3950.92 crore for 2015-16, Rs 683.30 crore has been allocated to rural development and Rs 230.68 crore to agriculture and allied activities and these allocations constitute more than 20 per cent of the total plan outlay.
As per the budget estimates for 2015-16 tabled in the State Assembly today by Chief Minister O Ibobi who is also in charge of Finance Department, sector-wise allocations are; Rs 34.10 crore for special area programmes (including Border Area Development Programme), Rs 384.20 crore for Irrigation and Flood Control, Rs 173 crore for energy, Rs 34.45 crore for Industry and Minerals, Rs 156 crore for transport, Rs 50.56 crore for Science & Technology and Environment, Rs 576.01 crore for General Economic Services, Rs 1474.75 crore for Social Services, 147.15 crore for General Services and Rs 6.73 crore for others.
With a view to augment physical connectivity in the State, Rs 156 crore has been provided towards roads and bridges including other transport infrastructure.
For the development of border areas in the State during 2014-15, 323 number of works are being taken up in the eight border blocks of Ukhrul, Chandel and Churachandpur under Border Area Development Programme (BADP).
Priority has been given to link roads, suspension bridges, construction of school buildings, community halls, mobile health services, development of playgrounds, capacity building and skill development.
The annual budget also provides Rs 113.34 crore to Autonomous District Councils in addition to another Rs 112.62 crore for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Presenting the budget estimates in the House, Chief Minister O Ibobi informed that the State GSDP at current prices increased from Rs 14,323.69 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 16,363.96 crore in 2014-15 and this is expected to grow to Rs 18,749.32 crore in 2015-16 .
The projected growth rate during 2015-16 is estimated at 7.8 per cent which is marginally higher than 7.2 per cent recorded during 2014-15.The total amount the Finance Commission would transfer to Manipur for the period 2015-2020 would be Rs 35,105 crore inclusive of local bodies grants and grants for disaster response.
The projected transfer is much less than the State's proposal for Rs 43,731 crore under Non-Plan alone.
As the special category status has been removed from all North Eastern States including Manipur, the State has no choice but to make all efforts to utilize the available scarce resources carefully, and mobilize additional tax, non-tax revenues.
The Chief Minister further announced that the Government has accepted the substantive part of the recommendations made by the Third Manipur State Finance Commission pertaining to devolution of financial resources to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), urban local bodies (ULBs) and ADCs with some modifications.
The State Government has agreed to transfer 10 per cent share of the gross State's own tax revenue to the PRIs, ULBs and ADCs every fiscal year starting from 2015-16 subject to implementation of revenue raising measures, accounting and auditing reforms and other conditions that may be finalized by Finance Department.
The total transfer during the current year is estimated at Rs 67.12 crore, Ibobi informed the House.
Comment
