Notwithstanding the scheduled Annual Budget to be presented on Friday, the Government on Tuesday came out with Supplementary Budget of Rs1,841.02 crore in the House.
The budget, third of the current fiscal, has stressed the most on disaster management department, considering the drought relief measures in store. The head clubbed with Home and Prison Department has been given Rs457 crore followed by Urban Development (Rs222 crore), Road Construction (Rs203 crore) and School Education and literacy (Rs202 crore).
The demand for grants would be discussed subsequently and voted, but Opposition members objected to the move, terming it fiscal mismanagement on part of the Government.
“This shows how the financial mismanagement is going on in the State. less than two months are left in this fiscal and the Government has been able to spend below 60 per cent of the annual budget passed for 2015-16. What is the need to bring in the supplementaryIJ I think it is just for the March-loot,” said Congress MlA Sukhdeo Bhagat.
However Urban Development Minister CP Singh justified the step. “There are heads under which the Government needed more fund than allocated originally.
Funds coming from the Center also need to be adjusted. After all, the budget is open to be accounted. There is constitutional provision for it,” he said.
later the House also debated ‘Thanks Giving Motion’ for the address of the Governor which would continue on Wednesday as well. BJP’s Radha Krishna Kishore defended the speech outlining some of the ‘intriguing’ measures taken by the Government.
“Never in the history of Jharkhand has such amount of the budget been spent during a fiscal. There are some unforeseen initiatives like Yojna Banao Abhiyan taken which allows villagers to plan for themselves. Instead of praising the speech, you (JMM and JVM) walked out of the House,” said the MlA in his attack.
From the JMM, Stephen Marandi raised question over plans for displaced of major projects, especially tribal and also expressed his pain over the plight of Jharkhand revolutionaries.