Aruchal deficit Rs 4,486.74 crore in ten years

Our Correspondent

Itagar, April 4: The Aruchal Pradesh government today denied any fincial mismagement in the state but admitted an accumulated deficit of Rs 4486.74 crore in the last ten years.  “The deficit has increased to Rs 4486.74 crore till March 2015 from Rs 146.47 crore in 2005-2006,” government spokesman Bamang Felix told reporters here.

While reacting to expelled former Congress MLA Kalikho Pul’s charge of fincial mismagement by the present government to the tune of 6000 crore, Felix clarified that the Government has been facing fincial constraints mainly due to substantial increase in the salary sectors.  “The grants given by 13th Fince Commission on salary and pension was not sufficient to meet up all requirements of salaries and pensions,” he said adding there was substantial increase in the state’s salary component after fresh recruitments of 18,863 employees in the past ten years. The amount received as upfront and processing fee was used for implementation of the 6th Pay Commission including payment of arrears during 2009-10 and 2010-11. After that the receipt of upfront and processing fee from hydropower developers was almost meager. However, salary as per 6th Pay Commission are being paid regularly and this is the prime cause of present fincial constraints, he added. Responding to a question on what steps the state government was initiating to bail out from the deficit, he disclosed that the government was contemplating various fiscal reforms to tide over the crisis. He, however, declined to elaborate on the measures initiated. When asked on the available balance of the state government with the RBI, he refused to divulge the details. Terming the allegation leveled by Pul during a press conference here yesterday, a day after his expulsion from the party, as ‘a misnomer and misleading’, Felix said, fincial constraint is a common phenomenon in every progressive state of the country. “How can the government resort to fincial mismagement when the state budget is audited by the CAG and recommended to the state Assembly where Public Account Committee (PAC) examines it and the House passes it? If at all the senior leader of the House was concerned so much he could have raised the issue in the Assembly instead of sensatiolizing it through media,” he ridiculed.

On Pul’s charge of closing the fincial year on March 24 instead of March 31, he denied that while saying that cheques were issued by work departments on March 24 to avoid rush in the last part of the fincial year. “Extension of cheque validity till April 30 was to avoid last moment rush and smooth transaction of government exchequer. The method was adopted also during previous years and it is for the convenience of contractors, he pointed out.

On allegation regarding submission of Utilization Certificates by concerned departments he said that it was being strictly monitored.

“Many of the Special Category sates in the country in the present context are not able to pay salaries to their employees. However, we have regularly disbursed salaries, pensions and other emoluments to our employees. This negates the allegation of fincial emergency in the state,” he claimed. Stating that there was no ban on withdrawal of GPF advance, non-refundable GPF withdrawal by state government employees as alleged by the former Fince Minister, Felix said, as regards to New Pension Scheme, the state government has adopted the scheme from January 1, 2008 and all accounts were being maintained properly. “Regarding misuse of CSS funds, if any written complaint is received, the government will recommend for SIC probe into the allegations,” he emphatically said.  To a question regarding release of last three months salaries to the contractual teachers under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and employees under tiol Health Mission, Felix disclosed that their salaried were being paid by the Centre and since the fund against salary was received on March 27 last, it would be release within a week or two.