'Blaming Congress Govt for financial impropriety is nothing but a baseless allegation'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 22 2021: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has categorically stated that the BJP blaming the then Congress Government for financial impropriety is nothing but a baseless allegation.

In a virtual press briefing, MPCC spokesperson N Bupenda Meitei contended that the robust health infrastructure built by the previous Congress Government in the State is helping the State put a fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He asked how many hospitals have been built by the incumbent Government since it came to power in 2017 .

Saying that the Congress led coalition Governments, which governed the State from 2002 to 2017, under the leadership of Okram Ibobi Singh, had always committed to maintaining fiscal discipline and management for the better economy of Manipur, he continued that the Congress Government enacted the Manipur FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) Act to ensure prudence in fiscal management and fiscal stability of the State in August 2005 .

Unfortunately, the BJP is giving a deliberate statement to confuse the people by blaming the Ibobi-led Congress Governments as the cause of financial burden, with the amount of Rs 8707 crores, the Congress spokesperson said and added that the BJP must first use the correct figures by giving a reference from any Government data if they are concerned about the fiscal liabilities due to outstanding debt.

He then demanded a clarification from the BJP to clear the confusion of the people of Manipur, Congress.

Saying that the exact figure, which was wrongly quoted by the BJP, should have been Rs 8807.82 crores and, the reference to the figure is from CAG (The Comptroller and Auditor General of India), N Bupenda Meitei said and maintained that BJP justifying its relentless increase in petrol and diesel prices in Manipur without even having an iota of meetings on reducing a single rupee from state's VAT in a litre of petrol or diesel during covid pandemic is upsetting.

From the CAG Report, for the year ended 31st March, 2004, fiscal liabilities are listed as Rs 1699 crores in 1999-2000, Rs 2093 crores in 2000-01, Rs 2198 crores in 2001-02 .

The financial liabilities of Rs 8807.82 crores are due to the cumulative effect of the financial liabilities of financial years from 1999 and even before 1999 from the previous State Governments, the Congress leader said and maintained that Government is always on a continuum and the continuity is manifested through fiscal and budget management for a better economy.

If BJP blames the Congress government for Rs 8807.82 crores, then should the next Government in 2022 also blame the present BJP Government for its financial liabilities in 2021-22, he asked and contended that the fiscal liabilities under the BJP Government's tenure are Rs 9565.94 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 10,463.92 crore in 2018-19 as per the CAG report of 2020 .

Saying that the arguments raised by the BJP on financial liabilities are against the principle of the continuum of a Government, he maintained that the BJP must learn and appreciate the fiscal discipline of the previous Congress Governments.

On health infrastructure during Congress Governments from 2002 to 2017 in Manipur, Bupenda said that the fight against Covid pandemic would have been very difficult had the Congress did not bring the central status to RIMS and established JNIMS as a State owned medical college as the BJP Government has not built any new Government hospital since 2017 .

The Congress Governments also built District Hospitals in Thoubal, Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Senapati, Chandel, etc., and many of them are 100 bedded hospitals, Bupenda said and added that then Congress governments, throughout hills and valley, had built Sub-District Hospitals/ Community Health Centres.

All CHCs, PHCs and PH Sub-Centres were established during the time of Congress Governments in the State, he maintained.

The Congress spokesperson also asked how many crores of rupees have been spent by the BJP Government in procuring ICU beds equipped with ventilators since 2017? Instead of BJP criticizing the previous Government's health infrastructure, the BJP Government must create its own health infrastructure during the covid pandemic, he asserted.

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