CM Ibobi begs more non plan fund to cover deficit
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 07 2013 : Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has requested the 14th Finance Commission team for increasing the non-plan allocation of the State by providing an additional Rs 4,700 crores which his Government would suffer deficit while making financial planning for the next five years.

The 14th Finance Commission team led by its Chairman Dr YV Reddy, which is currently at Imphal on a three-day visit, held a meeting with Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and his Cabinet colleagues and other top officials of the Government at the conference hall of Old Secretariat building here at 10 am today.

Apart from Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Revenue Minister Th Debendra, Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing, Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga, DGP MK Das, Principal Secretaries and Commissioners attended the meeting from the side of the State Government.

From the side of the visiting 14th Finance Commission team, its Chairman Dr YV Reddy, former Finance Secretary Sushma Nath, Director of National Institute of Public Finance and Polity (NIPFP) M Govind Rao, Member of Planning Commission Abhijit Sen and former acting Chairman of National Statistical Commission Sudipto Munle were among those present in the meeting.

CM Ibobi begs more non plan fund to cover deficit

During the meeting, Chief Minister O Ibobi drew the attention of the visiting 14th Finance Commission team to the financial constraints and difficulties faced by the State Government in taking up developmental works due to lack of adequate resources of its own.

He pointed out that poverty and unemployment are the two major problems being faced.

Till 2010, BPL families constituted 47 percent of the total population in the State and Government remains the only main job provider to the ever increasing number of educated youths in the State.

Requesting the visiting delegates of the 14th Finance Commission to increase the non-plan amount of the State, Chief Minister O Ibobi went on to point out that while making financial planning for the next five years, the the State Government would be suffering a deficit of Rs 4,700 crores alone in payment the salary and pension to its employees.

To reduce the burden of non-plan expenditure, the State Government has not created any new post in various Departments including Home, Education and Health Department nor filled up the vacant posts for the last 15 years.

Yet, the necessity of hiking the salary of the employees from time to time and need for increasing the strength of the State police force to tackle the law and order problem has led to the existing non-plan gap, the Chief Minister explained, adding that 19 percent of the total non-plan amount is allocated to the Home Department alone for maintenance of law and order in the State.

The Chief Minister also drew the attention of the visiting official team of the 14th Finance Commission to the fact that the State Government has not been able to fully implement the 6th Central Pay Commission recommendation to its employees even though the proposal for 7th Central Pay Commission has already been approved by the Central Government and proposed to the Finance Commission.

On top of this, the inability of the State Government to increase the DA, is another cause of resentment among the employees, who resort to cease work strike, from time to time, he added.

The Chief Minister also highlighted some of the achievements made by the State Government in spite of all these problems resulting from financial constraints, and touched upon the improvement in the mortality rate of infant,education, sex ratio, etc, even bettering the National average rate, and also the contribution made in the field of sports.

To supplement what the Chief Minister had laid down, Additional Chief Secretary Rashmi made a power-point presentation before the Commission team detailing the amount of money that would be required by the State Government for both plan and non-plan in the 14th Finance Commission which is to start from April 2015 .

It may be noted here that 16-member official team of the 14th Finance Commission led by its Chairman Dr YV Reddy arrived here from Kohima yesterday to study the performance of the state during the 13th Finance Commission as well as the amount to be required by the state in the next Finance Commission.

After the meeting, the official team of the 14th Finance Commission went to Moirang in Bishnupur district where they had a glance of Loktak Lake and INA Complex.

During the visit, Director of LDA Ibobi briefed the visiting team on the efforts being made for development of Loktak lake.

Later in the evening, Chief Minister O Ibobi hosted a dinner in honour of the delegation at the Banquet Hall of 1st Manipur Rifles here.

Before leaving the state tomorrow, the team will meet representatives of all political parties, Panchayati Raj institutions including urban local bodies, Autonomous District Councils and trade union of the state at the Old Secretariat.