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IMPHAL, February 25
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]anipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh who is also the finance-in-charge today presented a tentative budget estimate of the state government for the fiscal year 2015-16 in the house of Manipur Legislative Assembly today.
While presenting the budget estimate of Rs 10702.4 crore, the chief minister said that the full budget for the fiscal year was yet to be prepared pending the finalization of state’s annual outlay from the Centre.
He was compelled to present the provisional budget so to enable the state government to carry on its activities after the end of the current fiscal year 2014-15, due to end by March 31 next. The chief minister proposed budget estimates, the provisional total expenditure for 2015-16 was Rs 4933.10 crore under state plan, Rs 251.85 crore under CSS and CPS, and Rs 5517.46 crore under Non Plan.
“Out of the budget estimates, an amount of Rs 884.34 crore is charged expenditure and the remaining amount of Rs 9818.06 crores is voted expenditure,” he added.
He moved a motion to the house for vote on accounts of 2015-16 for grants of expenditure covering the first four months of the financial year 2015-16, stating that it was necessary to enable the state government carries on its activities beginning with the commencement of the next fiscal year from April 1, 2015.
After presenting the budget estimates, in the house that chief minister sought to pass a “Vote on Account” so as to enable the government discharge its responsibilities and to meet all essential expenditure during the first four months of fiscal year 2015-16.
“Normal full budget could not be presented as the plan size for 2015-16 has not yet been finalized, and the estimates of non-plan transfer from the Centre, which is normally based on Central Finance Commission’s recommendations, is also not known,” he asserted.
He further informed the house that 2015-16 would be the first year of the 14th Finance Commission award period. The commission has submitted its report to the Government of India. However, it is awaiting acceptance by the Centre, he added.
Earlier, the chief minister presented the Twelfth Report of the Business Advisory Committee, 2015 and moved the house for allocation of time proposed by the committee before tabling the supplementary demands for grants, 2014-15 for expenditure from the consolidated funds of the state of Manipur during the financial year 2014-15.
The Demands for Supplementary Grants included an additional expenditure of Rs 279072.60 lakhs (Rs 195306.93 lakhs in Revenue Expenditure and Rs 83765.67 lakhs in other expenditure).
