BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS: Over Rs 2 lakh crore unspent in last 6 years

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Huge amounts of annual budgetary allocations to various departments remaining unspent were the trademark of the successive Congress governments in Assam. It came to light today that the state governments also kept this legacy of sorts in the past six financial years.

Finance Minister Ajanta Neog's written reply to a query from BJP MLA Bidya Sing Engleng on the second day of the Autumn Session today revealed this fact.

According to Neog, various departments of the State Government could spend Rs 57406.81 crore against the allocation of Rs 78253.36 crore in 2016-17, Rs 65436 crore against Rs 95543.08 crore in 2017-18, Rs 71850.51 crore against Rs 108490.34 crore in 2018-19, Rs 82588.12 crore against Rs 119715.68 crore in 2019-20, Rs 79154.76 crore against Rs 122341.66 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 106296.30 crore against Rs 136554.68 crore in fiscal 2021-22.

It reflects that Rs 202166.34 crore budgetary allocations remained unspent in the past six financial years (FYs) in the state. Unable to spend the total budgetary allocations by the departments concerned is tantamount to depriving the people of their allotted benefits or development in their areas. The need of the hour in the state is to spend budgetary allocation as much as possible to benefit the target beneficiaries to the fullest extent.

Another reply of Neog to a question from AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam also revealed that Assam took Rs 19256.59 crore loan from various agencies in fiscal 2020-21 and Rs 17135.91 crore (provisional) in fiscal 2021-22. Similarly, the State Government got financial assistance from the Centre amounting to Rs 45862.97 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 58476.21 crore in fiscal 2021-22.

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