Raipur, Dec 21 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday said the previous Congress government did not make concrete efforts for revenue generation and pushed the state under huge debt in the last five years.
While answering the debate in the Assembly on the demand proposals for the second Supplementary Budget of the ongoing financial year 2023-24, Sai said his government is determined to fulfil each and every ‘Modi guarantee’.
After the discussion, the House passed the supplementary budget worth more than Rs 12,992 crore.
“We are going to start fulfilling the promises made to the public in our manifesto through this supplementary budget. At the age of 10, I lost my father but I want to assure the youth of the state I will always work for their betterment as a father and a guardian. I will be committed like a brother for the safety and prosperity of sisters of the state. I will be dedicated for the betterment of every citizen of the state,” he said.
The previous government had presented a budget of more than Rs 1.21 lakh crore (for financial year 2023-24) and made tall promises, but it id not make concrete efforts for enhancing revenue receipts.
“In the last five years the previous government took huge loans to meet the expenses. When we (referring to the BJP government) had handed over the treasury after 15 years of rule in 2018, the state had a total debt of Rs 41,695 crore. In a period of just five years, the debt increased to Rs 91,533 crore. The previous government borrowed Rs 50,000 crore in five years,” Sai claimed.
“Despite having been given the treasury in such a difficult financial position, we are determined to fulfil each and every promise of Modi’s guarantee,” he added.
Sai said his government had approved 18 lakh houses in the first cabinet meeting, while a provision of more than Rs 3,799 crore for the housing scheme has been made in this supplementary budget.
A provision of Rs 3800 crore was made for payment of outstanding paddy bonus for two years to the farmers, and outstanding paddy bonus will be transferred into the accounts of 13 lakh farmers on December 25, the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said.
“We have made provision of Rs 1,200 crore in the second supplementary budget for Mahtari Vandan Yojana to empower women and provide them financial assistance. To provide tap water connection to every house under Jal Jeevan Mission, a provision of Rs 1230 crore has been made under the state’s share,” he said.
Earlier, during the debate on the supplementary budget, Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant said Naxalites have become active after BJP came to power.
He also said several lakh families will be affected if the Sai government discontinues the half electricity bill scheme of the previous Bhupesh Baghel dispensation.
Raising the issue of coal mining in Hasdeo Arand, the LoP said people are yet to get benefits (after the formation of new government) but it has started reaching (billionaire industrialist Gautam) Adani.
“Felling of trees has started (in Hasdeo area) and 30,000 trees have been chopped. Tribals who were protesting against tree felling were arrested. Our (Baghel) government had brought a resolution in the House to save Hasdeo. We want the government to stop Hasdeo from being destroyed. Don’t hand over the poor’s land and jungle (to industrialists),” Mahant said.
He also said Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma had, during the campaign for the November 7 and 17 Assembly polls, had promised to waive farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh.
Sharma, in reply, said when he had spoken of farm loan waiver, the BJP’s manifesto had not been released.
The BJP’s manifesto was release later and people gave the party victory based on it, the Deputy CM pointed out.
Taking part in the debate, BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar urged the CM to lift the ban on the Central Bureau of Investigation (from probing cases) in Chhattisgarh.
Chandrakar said the incident of Biranpur (referring to the communal violence in Bemetara district in April this year) and other cases must be probed by the CBI. PTI TKP BNM BNM
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