Pre-budget exercise to be held in December
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday proposed to make certain important structural changes which would align the government’s development agenda with that of the Centre.
Addressing the State Development Council (SDC) meeting here, the Chief Minister said that changes in a nutshell would be participatory budget preparation by engaging all stakeholders to give suggestions in budget formulation for 2017-18, an official communique informed.
He said a detailed pre-budget exercise would be held from first week of December by the Finance Department for holding wide consultations with all stakeholders including all concerned departments and by end of January, the Finance department would submit the draft budget to be placed before the Assembly.
“After passage of the state budget in the Assembly, the departments will initiate procedures for implementation of the budget allocated to them,” he said.
The State Development Council meeting is a prerequisite for development projects, its implementation and financial matters.
Khandu categorically said the Prime Minister has given him specific instructions on transparency and he is duty-bound to adhere to the orders.
“It is our collective duty to restore the image of governance in our state….The government is duty-bound to ensure this and needless to say, we shall deal with any violation with exemplary action,” he said.
Regretting that due to several unavoidable circumstances the State Development Council could not be held in time, the Chief Minister, however, emphasized that the single mandate for the government was to meet the aspirations of the common citizens by bringing in transparency in governance, and providing basic infrastructure, especially in remote rural areas.
“It was a collective decision of the government to hold the State Development Council meeting by all means,” the Chief Minister said. (PTI)