Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Monday said the government has created a corpus fund to be utilized by all departments for state matching share of Centrally Sponsored Schemes on priority basis.
Chief minister Biren informed this on the second day of the tenth session of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly while clarifying the questions raised by the opposition members during the general discussion on Budget Estimates.
Biren who is also in charge of Finance, said the government is aware that the budget 2020-21 is a deficit budget; however, it is an innovative as well as an inclusive budget.
The budget is for all public in the State regardless of gender, region, among others.
Clarifying that the budget is not anti-women as the government has been taking up certain steps towards women empowerment and has already opened a fast track court for speedy disposal of crime against women cases, he said the government is also in the process to set additional fast track courts.
He continued that most developmental works implemented in the State are through Centrally Sponsored Schemes with a defined State matching share.
Now, the State Government has created a corpus fund through which the government will provide its matching shares of these schemes on priority basis.
The chief minister also placed before the House that the State’s ways and means borrowing capacity have been increased.
The state chief minister who is the Leader of the House also introduced the Manipur Appropriation (No 1) Bill, 2020.
The day’s discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor’s Address was moved by ruling MLA P Saratchandra Singh and seconded by his colleague MLA Awangbow Newmai.
Earlier replying to a question by opposition Congress MLA Surjakumar Okram during question and answer session, chief minister Biren, stated that the total amount recommended by the 14th Finance Commission as post-devolution revenue deficit grant for the award period 2015 – 2020 for the State is Rs 10,227 crore, out of which 10,066 crore was already transferred by Government of India.
He added that the remaining Rs 161 crore is expected to be transferred by March 2020.