Presenting its third and final Supplementary Budget of the fiscal on Friday, the Jharkhand Government has sought Rs1,778.22 crore for the year ending about one month from now. The allocation would be spent under plan expenditure in tune of Rs1,585.29 crore while the rest Rs192.94 crore has been earmarked as non-plan.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Roy tabled the Supplementary Budget in the House on the inaugural day of the month-long Budget Session, which began on Friday. The most relevant and interesting part of the demand was in the form of Rs400 crore for completing the ongoing railway projects in various parts of the State.
The money has to be paid to the Railways as the State’s share as per the MoU signed between the two and for speedy completion of the projects by March, 2015. Notably, several rail line projects are in limbo in Jharkhand due to various reasons, including fund crunch and recently the Railway Ministry renewed the agreement.
This apart, the Government has sought Rs298.7 crore for Subarnarekha multi-purpose project which is being executed under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme scheme. The Centre has amended the funding pattern of the scheme which has withheld the share coming from Delhi. Under the new system, the State has to make provision in its own Budget marked as ‘Indicate share of Government of India’. The State’s Annual Budget is to be presented on Tuesday.
The Supplementary Budget also has provisions for JNNURM projects, building anaganwadi centres, Tara Mandals in Ranchi and Dumka, building wider roads and bridges and for providing free-flow iodized salt to below poverty line families.
Provision for Rs150 crore has been made under revolving fund for MGNREGA. Under Human Resource Development head Rs96.52 crore has been earmarked for Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan and unaided education institutions. Under non-plan segment, the Government has tried to provide a fillip to Panchayati Raj institutions by allocating Rs49.44 crore for setting up panchayats.
The Government, at the same time, also assured the House of no side effect of the Supplementary Budget on goals set in achieving fiscal responsibility and management. Under the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act passed in 2003, States are expected to maintain their gross fiscal deficit or annual borrowings at 3 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
Earlier, the House saw some protests and agitations outside when almost an entire Opposition — JMM, JVM and the Congress — joined hands and condemned the Government for indulging in horse-trading and adopting hostile attitude on land acquisition and domicile policy. leader of Opposition Hemant Soren, JVM leader Pradeep Yadav and Congress legislative Party leader Alamgir Alam led their flocks holding placards and raised slogans.
Inside the House, JVM’s move to bring in an adjournment motion to discuss the alleged horse-trading also failed when Speaker Dinesh Oraon did not allow it.
