Vote on Account for Rs 3064 crores tabled in House
CM appeals for passing Supplementary Demand of Rs.1825.96 crores
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 20 2012: Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi, who is also holding the charge of Finance, presented a Budget Estimate of Rs 9192.03 crores for the fiscal year 2012-2013 on the second day session of the ongoing 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly today.

He also presented a Vote of Account of Rs 3046.01 crores for the period from April to July of the year fiscal year 2012-2013 as well as the Demand for Supplementary Grants of Rs 1825.96 crores for the year 2011-2012 in the House for discussion and passing by the House. Introducing the Demands for Supplementary Grants covering 43 Demands and 3 Appropriations, the Chief Minister explained that the demands are necessitated largely on account of payment of salaries and arrears of employees due to implementation of Revision of Pay as per recommendation of the 6th Central Pay Commission, higher allocation of fund under North Eastern Council (NEC) and release of more funds under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Central Plan Schemes, etc.

Out of the total amount proposed for Demands for Supplementary Grants, Rs.0.53 crores is charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State and the remaining Rs.1825.43 crores is to be voted by the House.

Besides, due to restriction on re-appropriation of fund from Revenue to Capital Account and also from 'Voted' to 'Charged' and vice versa, it is necessary to provide additional funds through Demands for Supplementary Grants although there are savings in either of the two under each Grant, the Chief Minister added.

The new Assembly building :: Pix TSE

Informing the House that the additional demand sought under Non-Plan is Rs 896.16 crore, the Chief Minister went on to explained that major portion of the demand is on account of salaries and arrears consequent upon the revision of pay, repayment of market loans, payment of pensionery benefits and leave encashment to the retired employees, making provision for modernization of Police Forces, payment of remuneration of Village Defence Force and deployment charges of CPMFs, amount released for State Disaster Response Fund, payment of grants-in-aid to the 6(six) District Councils, payment of electric charges of all Govt.Departments, purchase of power from National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), etc, payment of charges for issue of Photo Identity Cards to Voters and printing of Electoral Rolls, charges for conduct of election to State Legislative Assembly, 2012, purchase of POL for use by the Police Department for maintaining law and order, payment of remuneration and incentives to surrendered militants.

The Chief Minister said that the Supplementary Demands also include additional Plan fund amounting to Rs 663.69 crores for due to unfinished projects under SPA for previous year, implementation of Multi-Sectoral Development Plan in Minority concentrated Districts, implementation of Command Area Development and Water Management(CADWN) programme, conservation and management of Loktak Lake and associated Wetlands (STAP), state support for NIT Lamphel, implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, construction of Police Stations and Outposts and VDF outposts, setting up of Counter Insurgency and Anti Terrorism (CIAT) School, construction of 5000 MT Godown at Jiribam, payment of compensation to owners of vehicles burnt down during economic blockade, implementation of Manipur Sericulture Project and payment of land compensation including standing properties at Kabo Leikai.

The Supplementary Grants also include fund of Rs 266.11 crores for meeting additional expenditure including backlog on CSS, CPS, NEC, NLCPR etc.

He also asserted that measures have been taken by the State Govt to control the rise in the avoidable Non-Plan expenditure.

Additional fund requirement has been provided to meet the minimum and urgent requirements only.

The Chief Minister proposed for a Vote-on-Account to enable the Government to discharge its responsibilities and to meet all essential expenditure during the first four months of 2012-13 since the Plan size is yet to be finalised due to the recently concluded General Election.

Stating that the provisions under the Annual Plan, 2012-13 are tentative he proposed to present the full Budget for the year 2012-13 after the Plan size is finalized.

Recalling how the Congress government put its efforts during the last 10 years contributing to bringing about a tangible and visible transformation in the State's economy, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Gross State Domestic Product has almost tripled from just Rs 3,506 crores in 2002-03 to Rs 10,188 crores in 2011-12 at Current Prices and per capita income has also increased more than doubled from Rs.14,787 to Rs.36, 085 during the period.

He informed the House that the State also witnessed a decline in growth rate of Gross State Domestic Product (at Constant Prices) from 7.65 per cent in 2009-10 to 6.16 per cent in 2010-11, reflecting the general decelerating growth trend in the rest of the country.

As per the provisional estimates, the economy is projected to grow at 6.23 per cent during 2011-12 .

Growth during the ensuing fiscal year 2012-13 would, to a large extent, depend on how the overall fiscal situation in the State unfolds over the next year, and how the investment activity picks up.

Presenting the proposal for the Revised Estimates for 2011-12, the CM acknowledged that the Budget Estimates for 2011-12 had placed the total expenditure at Rs 6858.89 crores.

This has been revised to Rs 7698.02 crores showing an increase of Rs 839 crores.

Out of the Revised Estimates, an amount of Rs 534.07 crores is Charged expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of the State and the remaining amount of Rs 7163.96 crores is Voted expenditure.

While, Plan expenditure for 2011-12 was placed at Rs 3290 crores in the Budget Estimates,it has decreased to Rs 2876.99 crores in the Revised Estimates.

On the Non-Plan side, the additionality of Rs 918.30 crores in the Revised Estimates over the Budget Estimates of Rs 3250.03 crores is mainly accounted by increase in the expenditure on payment of salaries and pensions by Rs.628.01 crores over Budget Estimates of 2011-12 .

For 2012-13 (BE), the total receipt is estimated at Rs 7863.71 crores, which is an increase of 17 per cent over 2011-12 (RE) of Rs 6688.54crores.The Revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 6668.08 crores and Capital receipts at Rs 1195.63 crores.

The Revenue and Capital receipts under Plan are tentative since the Plan financing scheme for 2012-13 has not yet been finalized.

Therefore, these estimates would change after the Plan outlay for 2012-13 is finalized.

Total estimates of State's Own tax and Non-Tax receipts assumed in the Budget Estimates are Rs 358.46 crores and Rs 314.47 crores respectively.

Receipt from Share in Central taxes has been kept at Rs 1364.35 crores as per the Central Budget 2012-13 and Non-Plan grants from the Centre, including the Non-Plan Revenue Deficit Grant under the 13th Finance Commission award, is estimated at Rs 1550.24 crores, the CM stated.