Raipur, Jan 7 – In Chhattisgarh, the need for astute financial management experts is crucial for the current government to fulfill its ‘guarantees’.
This is because the previous government left behind several ‘guarantees’, posing a challenge for the present administration.
According to the current financial situation of the state, it is evident that the budget was approximately Rs 1.21 lakh crore, with a debt burden of nearly Rs 89,000 crore.
Considering this, it becomes clear that if the government needs a loan in the future, maintaining a balance between the budget and debt will be a formidable task.
Before coming to power, the BJP made numerous promises to the public, and although some commitments have been fulfilled, there are still several pledges that may burden the government if they are fulfilled.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the BJP government presented a supplementary budget of more than Rs 12,900 crore in the first session of the Assembly.
The budget included provisions to fulfil the guarantees given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has already made payments to farmers, providing a bonus for two years on paddy procurement at Rs 3,100 per quintal.
There has also been an increase in the amount allocated for tendu leaf collection.
However, the most significant challenges for the government remain the subsidy on gas cylinders and the Mahtari Vandana Yojana.
Chief Minister Sai said the previous government accumulated a debt of Rs 50,000 crore in five years, leading to the current debt burden on the state. Despite this, the state government is committed to fulfilling its promises.
On the other hand, Chhattisgarh Congress spokesperson Surendra Verma contends that although the Bhupesh Baghel Government had allocated budget provisions until March, the BJP government is relying solely on rhetoric.
Verma says the supplementary budget is insufficient for the proposed schemes, and there has been no mention of the subsidy on gas cylinders or the payment of pending dues for paddy procurement.
Overall, Verma labels this government as one built on false promises, highlighting that if the state had received its share from the Centre, which amounts to more than Rs 1 lakh crore, there would be no need for taking loans.
According to experts, for the current BJP Government in Chhattisgarh, emulating the successful initiatives of the previous government, such as the farmer loan waiver, Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojana, electricity bill concessions, purchase of cow dung and cow urine, and unemployment allowance, will not be an easy task.
It may even necessitate imposing restrictions on these schemes to fulfill their financial guarantees.
In such circumstances, achieving adept financial management is crucial. Balancing the effective implementation of the previous government’s schemes along with fulfilling the BJP’s commitments will be no easy task.
snp/prw/rad
