Cong chronicles achievements, asks BJP's
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 22 2021: Responding to the statements of BJP leaders questioning achievements of Congress in terms of healthcare facilities and fiscal liabilities during its rule, Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bhupenda has categorically asked the BJP government how many hospitals it has constructed so far.

Addressing a virtual press conference, Bhupenda said that RIMS and JNIMS are playing the most important roles in the treatment of Covid-19 patients and saving thousands of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both the hospitals are achievements of the Congress government.

On the other hand, the fiscal liabilities of the state will reach Rs 13,000 crore by end of the current financial year, he said and asked if the BJP government would take responsibility of this deficit.

He said that contrary to the allegations levelled by BJP leaders, the Congress government led by O Ibobi had good fiscal discipline and management.

Enactment of Manipur Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2005 is a testimony of the Congress government's good fiscal policy.

Unfortunately, BJP leaders are trying to mislead the public by claiming that the BJP government inherited a fiscal liability of Rs 8707 crore from Congress government to justify the hike in fuel price but it never mentioned the source of their information.

Congress would not have to made clarifications if the BJP leaders mentioned the source clearly while making the charges, he said.

Congress believes that BJP leaders are making the claims based on the CAG report published in March 2019 .

However, the saffron party should know that Congress government is not solely responsible for the whole amount.

Fiscal liability was Rs 1699 crore in 19992000; Rs 2093 crore in 200001; and Rs 2198 in 2001-02, which is before Congress came into power.

Congress never held the previous governments responsible for the fiscal liabilities from before 2002 .

Under the present government of BJP, the fiscal liabilities of the state reached Rs 9565.94 crore in 2017-18, Rs 10,463.92 in 2018-19 and Rs 13,000 crore by the end of 2020-21.He then asked if BJP will blame the Congress government for the fiscal liabilities.

By the end of its term, the fiscal liabilities will reach Rs 16,831.65 crore, which will be a huge burden, he said and asked if they would still call the government as people's government.

Regarding health infrastructure, Bhupenda said that Congress government upgraded RIMS to a central medical institute and JNIMS as a state's medical college.

Despite this, BJP is accusing the Congress government of doing nothing to improve healthcare infrastructure after adding some ICU beds and ventilators only.

Since 2017, no new hospitals or new medical college have been built.

It was the initiative of Congress government which upgraded JNIMS into a medical college that helped in facing the pandemic, he said.

He further said that Congress government upgraded most of the district hospitals into 100-bedded hospitals.

Several health centres were constructed in both hills and valley areas.

It is imperative to have additional equipment to fight the pandemic and it is rather funny to claim these as BJP's achievement, he said.

He asked the BJP government if it has translated the promise of constructing a Covid hospital and also demanded the BJP government to clarify how much it has spent to procure the ICU beds during the pandemic.

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