Imphal: On the first day of the 6th Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, also the Leader of the House and in charge of Finance, presented the Annual State Budget Estimates for 2024-25.
Chief Minister Biren Singh laid the following on the Table of the House:
- Demands for Grants, 2024-2025
- Annual Financial Statement, 2024-25
- Manipur Budget at a Glance, 2024-25
- Demands for Excess Grants for the year 2018-19
He also presented the Seventh Report of the Business Advisory Committee, 2024, and moved a motion for the House to agree with the allocation of time proposed by the committee. Additionally, the Chief Minister moved the Motion for Vote on Account, 2024, for discussion.
Minister in charge of law, Th. Basanta Kumar Singh, laid the Separate Audit Reports (SAR) for the Manipur State Legal Services Authority for the years 2018-19 to 2021-22 on the Table of the House. The Secretary of the Manipur Legislative Assembly informed the House of the Governor’s assent to the Bill.
Key Highlights of the Budget
The new budget estimates the State’s total receipts for 2024-25 at Rs. 34,815 Crores, comprising:
- Revenue receipts: Rs. 27,716 Crores
- Capital receipts: Rs. 7,099 Crores
The State’s tax and non-tax receipts are estimated at Rs. 2,470 Crores and Rs. 300 Crores, respectively. The proposed total gross expenditure from the Consolidated Fund is Rs. 34,899 Crores, with:
- Revenue expenditure: Rs. 20,628 Crores
- Capital outlay: Rs. 8,616 Crores
The fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs. (-) 1,526 Crores, 3% of the GSDP, with the total outstanding debt as a percentage of GSDP projected at 35%. The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2024-25 is estimated at Rs. 49,937 Crores.
Focus on Agriculture and Sports
Chief Minister Biren Singh emphasized the importance of agriculture to the State’s economy and acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers due to recent unrest and natural disasters. Compensation has been paid to many affected farmers, with efforts ongoing to ensure all cultivable land is accessible. The budget allocates Rs. 883 Crore for agriculture and allied sectors, including fisheries, horticulture, animal husbandry, and organic crops.
The government stands firm in its support for sports. Key initiatives include:
- The ‘Sportspersons Livelihood Guarantee Scheme,’ with a Rs. 4 Crore budget to assist retired athletes without livelihoods.
- Funds for quality coaching, including hiring foreign coaches.
- Support for indigenous arts, games, and football clubs.
- Plans for the Manipur Football Academy and new football fields with natural grass.
- Upgrading sports infrastructure with projects under NESIDS, including a Rs. 40 Crore Multipurpose Indoor Stadium and a ‘Digital Infrastructure of Sports Excellence’ project.
- An allocation of Rs. 98 Crore for sports development, excluding additional infrastructure support from various schemes.
Achievements in Education and Health
The Chief Minister highlighted achievements in education, with significant improvements in basic infrastructure like electricity, water, and sanitation. Currently, 51% of schools have electricity, solar panels have been provided to targeted schools, potable drinking water is available in all government schools, and 75% of schools have functional toilets for both boys and girls.
In the health sector, Manipur is making good progress towards achieving SDG 3 (Good health and well-being). The NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2023-24 shows Manipur’s score has improved from 68 to 75, placing it second after Tripura among the NE States. Ayushman cards have been issued to 6,02,268 beneficiaries, covering 45% of the population, with the remaining 4,81,445 to be covered by 31st December 2024 under PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
Addressing Natural Disasters
The government has sanctioned Rs. 60 Crore from the SDRF and an additional Rs. 20 Crore for disaster relief, including Rs. 10,000 per household affected by floods. A proposal for compensation for hailstorm damages has been submitted to the Central Government.
Financial Discipline and Future Plans
Chief Minister Biren Singh presented the “Demands for Excess Grants” for the financial year 2018-19, noting an excess expenditure of Rs. 1,729.49 crores due to the repayment of advances. The excess amounts require regularization as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which has made valuable recommendations for improving the budgeting system and enforcing stricter financial discipline.
Additional Discussions
During the Question Hour, the Chief Minister responded to various queries:
- There is currently no policy to extend the service tenure of government employees from 60 to 62 years.
- Rs. 808.17 crore for pensioners is ready to be cleared by March.
- The feasibility of extending service tenure is under consideration.
He also invited representatives from constituencies to apply for the construction of playgrounds in their areas and informed that the State Cabinet has resolved to conduct Panchayat elections in September 2024, postponed due to the law and order situation.
