BTC Chief Executive Member (CEM) tables Rs 3,157-crore budget for 2022-23

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KOKRAJHAR: Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Pramod Boro on Monday tabled a Rs. 3157.66-crore council budget for the year 2022-23 on the first day of the BTC budget session. The estimated expenditure for the year is Rs. 3271.48 crore with deficit amount of Rs 113.65 crore.

In the budget, the Department of WPT&BC was allocated the highest amount of Rs. 1314.70 crore followed by Education with Rs. 127.16 crore and Irrigation department with Rs. 124.89 crore. The other departments that received a lion's share are PWD-Rs 98.80 crore, health-Rs 72.92 crore, GAD-Rs 37 crore, P&RD-Rs 54.34 crore and Agriculture Rs 27 crore while excise and lottery got only Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively. The council has received Rs. 722.84 crore from the SOPD fund, Rs 193.65 crore from the 6th Assam State Finance Commission, Rs 150 crore for assistance to BTC for infrastructure development as per the BTR accord, Rs. 106.14 crore from Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana and Rs 393.77 crore from the 15th Finance Commission.

In his budget speech, CEM Pramod Boro said that his council was monitoring various department schemes and programmes to ensure proper utilization of funds in order to accelerate the pace of development. He also laid stress on transparency and accountability in the administrative machinery of the council.

'Bodoland Territorial Council Vision 2030: Safe, Smart and Green Bodoland' is a landmark document jointly developed by the BTC administration and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he said, adding that the strategy paper and action plan of each department in the council highlighted the status of sustainable development goals in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

Boro said the Government of Assam had earmarked budget provision of one-time special grant of Rs 1,500 crore for the year 2022-23 as per the BTR agreement. The Government of Assam has paid respect to the martyrs of the Bodoland movement and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to families of 500 martyrs by keeping fund provision of Rs 25 crore in the current financial year (2022-23).

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