Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today lashed about Virbhadra Singh Government in the State Assembly alleging General budget for year 2017-18 presented on Mar 10, as mainly bank upon the whooping borrowing and central allocations, terming it without sufficient resource mobilization.
Participating in Budget discussion this afternoon Mr. Dhumal alleged that out of every hundred rupees Government would borrow about Rs 77.45 from transfer from Central Government and remaining gap of Rs 22.55 would be met with borrowing. “If 88 percent of the State budget would be met by the State share of central funds, central grants and borrowing, it is obvious that there are no serious efforts in the budget to generate resource mobilization” Mr. Dhumal said.
”The Government who making noise for long time that it had constituted a committee on resource mobilization chaired by Horticulture Minister Ms Vidya Stokes, this last budget of present government hardly showed any efforts or figured in the budget to revealed any out come on the front ” Ex CM observed. Mr. Dhumal said that present budget was told Rs 1041 Cr. and Rs 4946 Cr revenue and fiscal deficit however the same figures were Rs 476 Cr and Rs 4076 Cr in the last year respectively.
The incumbent Government was rely upon whooping borrowing however it was ignoring the warning of Finance Commission and union finance ministry that it should not borrow relentlessly and not exceeding fiscal deficit above three percent of GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product). “State was bound by article 273 of constitution to follow the Centre however despite issuing warning it was exceeded fiscal deficit above 40,000 Cr now projected 50000 Cr in the present budget.’ he pointed.
‘ If government keep on borrowing without curtailing its spend thrift above prescribed limit it would lapse the ease to further borrow in upcoming budget he warned stating that centre could detected its allocation if exceeded the limit.’ Mr. Dhumal pointed out that state budget did not spell out any measure to bring down the spendthrift as it has inducted army of chairmen and vice chairmen without any merit, burdening the state debt ridden exchequer. He questioned financial prudence of Government for opening so many Industrial Training Institute. Budget showed announcement of as many as 34 ITIs however many seats of students were left vacant.
Mr Dhumal pointed out that as many as 2105 seats left unfilled in the state and 4820 seats in private , ITIs in the year 2014-15 and 6925 ITIs seats left vacant in the ITIs in 2015-16. He added that as many 14262 seats were lying vacants in ITIs and Poly technical Institute in year 2014-15, about 10313 in 2015-16 and 13029 in year 2016-17 respectively. He added that about 23 seats remained vacant in government B.Tech and 504 in private instituted and 260 in M Tech colleges.
State GSDP recorded decline from eight per cent to 6.2 percent Mr. Dhumal pointed out that instead of condemning Mr. Narendra Modi Government for demonetization it should have mentioned the reason of declining of GSDP. Terming the budget annual ritual of the Government Mr. Dhumal said that it had repeated similar budget announcements which had made in the previous budgets.
“Similar announcement was made by Mr. Singh in last three budgets however they did not implemented and similarly it would met with fate in this budget. The government brought more than 70 lakh square meter area under new plantation however it did not mentioned coverage of new plantation in the state he also pointed out that why it imported plant from Italy which were found infested with the disease. Mr Dhumal said that Government had made the provision of 80 per cent subsidy to the hail net however it did not mentioned that how many apple growers were benefited by the scheme.
He warned that stray animals from the outside were being dropped in the state and state should increased vigil on the boarders to find out from where these animals are being coming in the State. In the year 2013-14 the state budget announced to plant 45 lakh saplings of 91 species however it was also silent that how much target it had achieved in the plantation. He also questioned that two fruit and vegetable processing unit has been announced to set up in the Ghumarwin and Nadaun however no plants come up so far. Discussion on the budget was continue and Transport Minister G.S Bali, Rajesh Dharmani, Indar Dutt Lakhan Pal of Congress, Rajiv Bindal and Govind Sharma of BJP participated in the discussion.
