Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 22: With the Planning Commission of India having upset entire budget of the State Government by not acceding to its demand for 10 per cent step-up in annual plan, the Government has decided to get revised estimates passed from the Legislature when it meets, most likely in September, in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State for Monsoon session.
The State Legislature had passed Rs 38,068 crores worth budget for 2013-14 in March during budget session of the Legislature taking Rs 8000 crores worth annual plan for current financial year into account.
The budget had Rs 4215 crores worth increase over last fiscal year (2012-13), which was to the tune of Rs 33,853 crores.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government has been left in a precarious situation by the Planning Commission of India by initially giving a verbal nod to incorporate Rs 8000 crores worth annual plan figures in the budget, which was presented in both Houses of the Legislature in first week of March but later backtracked from the assurance and approved only Rs 7300 crores worth plan, equal to the last financial year.
Admitting that no increase in annual plan for 2013-14 by the Planning Commission has upset the budget figures presented in the two Houses, sources said the Government would take both Legislative Assembly and Council into confidence and submit revised figures when the Houses meet for Monsoon session in September in the summer capital.
“There is, however, no need for convening special session of the Legislature to get the budget figures revised. We can do this in Monsoon session of the Legislature. The members of both the Houses would be taken into confidence and apprised in detail about discussions with the Planning Commission of India on the annual plan, the State Government’s insistence on Rs 8000 crores worth plan and the Commission’s refusal to accede to the demand,’’ sources said.
They added that the Government would prepare new figures for the budget for approval of the two Houses in the Monsoon session.
“Generally, the Planning Commission used to give us nod few days before the budget on the amount the State would be getting under annual plan, Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes during the current fiscal. The figures used to prove accurate later. This is, however, an unusual situation that the figures have gone wrong forcing the Government to go for revised figures to get the Legislature nod,’’ sources said.
The State Government had presented Rs 38,068 crores worth budget in the State Assembly in March this year. Both House had approved the budget after detailed discussions. The budget had figures of Rs 8000 crores worth annual plan for the State as against Rs 7300 crores of previous year, an increase of about 10 per cent for current fiscal.
Sources claimed that the figures were based on the verbal nod of the Planning Commission Members and Advisors with whom the State officials had initiated talks on the annual plan as early as January this year. However, the Planning Commission later approved only Rs 7300 crores worth plan in favour of the State, giving it no increase for the current financial year.
Admitting the setback, the Government said in addition to presenting revised figures in the Legislature it would also explain to the legislators the circumstances that prompted the Government to initially take figure of Rs 8000 crore plan in the budget but later change it to Rs 7300 crores.
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