BHOPAL: The state government’s decision to present third supplementary budget of around Rs 5,000 crore in the ongoing Budget Session of the Vidhan Sabha has put a question mark on the fiscal management of the state government. After the passage of the budget, the government departments will have barely eight days to spend the allocated amount. It will be next to impossible for the departments to spend the money and present bills in the treasury.
The state government had brought third supplementary budget worth Rs-4000cr in 2015-16 too. However, it lapsed as departments failed to submit bills in treasury on time. The budget was primary brought to provide relief to farmers whose crops were ruined due to natural calamities. As the fund lapsed, government had to make payouts from 2016-17 main budget.
Finance minister Jayant Mallaiya says that the state government knows where the budget has to be spent. According to him, the state government has to pay its share in Amrit Scheme to the Centre. Besides, the budget will be used to adjust some expenses already made. He said that the government will not allow the budget to lapse this time. He also insisted that the state’s financial health was in the pink.
The main opposition party Congress said that the government’s decision to bring supplementary budget when financial year was drawing to its end exposed its fiscal mismanagement. Congress MLA Mukesh Nayak said that this shows that the government, groaning under debt, wants to legitimise the expenses made without legislative consent. He said that the departments which will be allocated funds in the budget will be in a tearing hurry to utilise them. This would result in misuse. He said that the Congress will question the logic of bringing a supplementary budget just a week before the end of the fiscal, when it comes up for discussion in the House.
Various departments, he said, were spending money in anticipation of the budget. After the budget is cleared, bills would be presented in the treasury. The government is also mulling banning presentation of all bills, except those pertaining to essential expenses, in the treasury till the new fiscal. If that happens, it would be difficult for the departments to spend their allocations.
