[Reader-list] No Budget for WB

[A. Mani]

 only advts and publicity stunts....
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NO BUDGET FOR WEST BENGAL



Incompetence and

Callousness of the FM



THE West Bengal finance minister, Amit Mitra, has created a precedent
in the country by not placing a full budget on the floor of the
assembly. Instead of a budget what was presented was a statement of
the finance minister, where he claimed that the revenue earnings of
the state will be increased by 31 per cent in the current fiscal year.
However, no tax proposal has been mentioned to meet this target, apart
from an announcement by the finance minister that taxes will be raised
on liquor and lottery. On the expenditure side, allocations have been
increased for development planning, school education, health etc.
There was no mention either of the sources for increased allocation.
But what is shocking is that no extra allocation has been made for the
departments of panchayat and rural development or irrigation. There
was no transparency of revenue earning or spending.



Commenting on Amit Mitra’s annual financial statement, leader of the
opposition Suryakanta Mishra pointed out that this would only nudge
the state closer to a “financial mess” and prove to be an
“embarrassment for the government.”    It was also pointed out by him
that new proposals are being announced almost every day; but there is
no indication as to where will the money come from? Moreover, it is
being reported in newspapers that central government is providing
grant-in-aid, Central Plan Assistance and Special Central Assistance.
But this too finds no mention in the statement of the finance
minister. The non-seriousness of the finance minister and the
government is also evident from the fact that the minister couldn’t
even circulate a copy of his speech. It was just a verbal statement.



The government of the day has a duty to place a budget before the
house and the people. By not doing so, the Trinamool-led government
has bypassed established democratic norms and procedures. It is, in
fact, the arrogance of the new government that they are even refusing
to submit a clear financial proposal in assembly.

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Best

A. Mani




-- 
A. Mani
CU, ASL, CLC,  AMS, CMS
http://www.logicamani.co.cc