IMPHAL, August 3: The Manipur annual budget 2014-15 is a confused budget and the State government is only trying to impress the Centre by putting up a spectacle, asserted department of Economics Manipur University assistant professor Dr Chinglen Maisnam.
Speaking at the Left and Secular Alliance, Manipur organised talk “Central and State budgets 2014,” he said the only one adversely affected by such budgets will be the public.
The talk was held at Irawat Bhawan, BT Road.
The economics assistant professor was sure the Central experts will be confused by the State budget.
He said there is no reference of the previous budget in the present budget and there is only a 2 percent fiscal increase from last year’s.
There are large deductions in fund earmarked for Power and Social Welfare departments from the previous year’s allocation, he said.
The deficit in this year’s budget is less as compared to the past years, helping the State conjure up a good record before the new NDA government at the Centre, Chinglen continued.
But what is more interesting and unfortunate at the same time is that the members of the House had failed to make any arguments or get involved in the budget discussion during the recent Assembly Budget session, he lamented.
The RMSA or SSA schemes might be scrapped under the present NDA government as there are speculations that the flagship and central sponsored schemes introduced by the past government will be scrapped, he said.
Chinglen further continued that under the PPP model, there are plans to hand over the renovation work of the Loktak Lake to a Bangkok based firm.
CPI State secretary, Dr M Nara said the topic discussed is new to all.
He said due to lack of much planning on the part of the State government while preparing the budget, people are facing problems.
Although there is a directive from the Parliament to all State Assemblies to sit for at least 55 working days to discuss the development and planning for the State, the Manipur Assembly was conducted for not even a month, he said.
