Madhya Pradesh Assembly to Engage in Supplementary Budget Discussions During Winter Session
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Bhopal, Dec 18 (NationPress) On the third day of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly's winter session, lawmakers are set to engage in discussions regarding the supplementary budget introduced by the state government. This supplementary budget was unveiled on Tuesday and will be deliberated upon today, Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the first supplementary budget for the ongoing financial year, totaling Rs 22,460 crore. This budget includes allocations of Rs 13,130 crore for revenue and Rs 9,329 crore for capital expenses. These funds are dedicated to various development initiatives across different departments.
The budget announcement has ignited a political controversy concerning the state's financial condition. The Opposition Congress, both inside and outside the Assembly, has accused the ruling BJP government of leading the state towards bankruptcy due to escalating debt.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is anticipated to participate in the discussions, which Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar has designated four hours for. The session is likely to feature intense debates, as the Congress has consistently claimed that the BJP government is imposing an unbearable debt on the state.
On Tuesday, Congress legislators, spearheaded by Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar, conducted a symbolic protest on the Assembly grounds, holding begging bowls. They asserted that even with significant debt accumulation, there has been no notable enhancement in the state's infrastructure and public services.
The Congress party further alleged that the BJP government borrowed Rs 7,500 crore in just the last two months, with the overall debt from 2021 to 2024 reaching Rs 1.22 lakh crore from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Their calculations suggest that Madhya Pradesh's total debt now surpasses Rs 4 lakh crore.
In defense, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla justified the government's borrowing, asserting it remains within the allowable threshold of 3 percent of the state's GDP, as mandated by fiscal regulations.
The discussion regarding the supplementary budget is poised to establish the atmosphere for a heated political confrontation in the Assembly.
