By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Amid protest and shouting of Oppositions’ BJP and Congress , Odisha Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari Wednesday tabled the supplementary budget of Rs 8126.32 cr for the financial year 2019-20 on the first day of the winter session of the State Assembly.
Rs 7432.8 crore has been allocated under Programme Expenditure, Rs 267.23 crore allocated for Administrative Expenditure. Besides, Rs 6.52 crore has been allocated for Disaster Response Fund and another Rs 419.78 crore allocated under ‘Transfers from State’.
The supplementary budget is aimed at fulfilling the requirement of funds for public welfare and developmental activities in the state, mainly through reallocation of available resources and receipt of tied-up resources from various sources, reports said.
The supplementary budget provision of Rs 7432.8 crore is to be financed by tied-up resources to the tune of Rs 2981.88 crore, higher receipt of non-tax revenue to the extent of Rs 1,000 crore, and surrender of the provision in grants and appropriations to the extent of Rs 4114.5 crore, it was learned.
The Odisha government’s total debt stands at Rs 83,307 crore which is 15.4% of the GSDP, the State Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari further informed at a presser after tabling the supplementary budget in Odisha Assembly.
Meanwhile, Odisha Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo informed that Rs 2552.64 crore was disbursed to 51,05,290 farmers under KALIA scheme out of which 45,965 are ineligible beneficiaries.
In a written response to the question raised by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the State Assembly, the Odisha Agriculture minister informed that in the first instalment, 51,05,290 beneficiaries (36,34,710 small & marginal farmers and 14,70,580 landless) were enrolled in the KALIA scheme, the block-wise and district-wise list is available in KALIA web portal (kalia.co.in). The Rs 5000 cash assistance was deposited in their accounts between January 2019 and May 2019.
As per government records, 45,965 persons have been identified ineligible and the cash benefits extended by government amounts to Rs 22,98,25,000 (22.98 cr). Steps are being taken to recover the money from them, said Minister Arun Sahoo.
The Agriculture Minister further added that the district-wise and block-wise list of actual beneficiaries is being prepared and the final list will be published online after completion.
