Lamka, March 17 2009: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has claimed that economic growth in the State has gathered momentum in the last 7/8 years after relative stagnation.

During the tenth plan period (2002-07), the annual average growth rate of GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) at current prices has shown a growth of 9.74 percent.

The Chief Minister made the claim while introducing demands for grants in the State Assembly today.

Stating that the State has been maintaining healthy revenue surpluses since 2004-05, the Chief Minister asserted that fiscal deficits have been completely wiped out as per the provisional figures for 2007-08 available with the Government.

Contrary to the past trends, development expenditure has been steadily increasing, capital expenditure has attained a path of growth and expenditure on non-salary component of the development sector has also sharply increased indicating the move towards creation of assets as well as the maintenance and delivery of these services, Ibobi stated.

Presenting the Revised Estimates 2008-09 and Budget Estimates 2009-10, the Chief Minister informed the House that the Budget Estimate for 2008-09 had places the total expenditure at Rs 4142.41 crores which was revised to Rs 4791.51 crores.

Plan Expenditure for 2008-09 was placed at Rs 1660 crores in the Budget Estimate.

But this has been increased to Rs 1737.11 crores.

On the Non-Plan side, the additionality of Rs 303.91 crores in the Revised Estimates over the Budget Estimates of Rs 2301.20 crores is accounted by increase in the expenditure on payment of Dearness Allowances to employees and increased security expenditure.

Taking into account the receipts and expenditure, the current year is expected to have a revenue surplus of Rs 1128.38 crores as against the budgeted figure of Rs 1145.81 crores.

Informing the House that the outlay for the State Plan for 2009-10 has been tentatively fixed at Rs 1733 crores, the Chief Minister also elaborated on the sector-wise allocation of the tentative outlay.

According to the outlay, General Economic Services gets the biggest share at Rs 679.80 crores followed by Social Services sector at 383.68 crores.

Other sectors that figure prominently in the sectoral allocation are Irrigation and Flood Control (Rs 267.20 crores), Energy (Rs 123 crores), Industry and Minerals (Rs 90.36 crores), Rural Development (Rs 84.84 crores) and Agriculture and Allied Activities (Rs 38.66 crores).

Further introducing the demands for Supplementary Grants, the Chief Minister stated that the Supplementary Demands include additional plan fund amounting to Rs 168.32 crores The supplementary sought for are of the order of Rs 705.95 crores covering 40 Demands and three Appropriations.

The Supplementary Grants also include fund for meeting additional expenditure including backlog on Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Central Plan Schemes, NEC schemes etc.

The amount demanded under these areas is of the order of Rs 256.49 crores, Ibobi laid out.

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