SHILLONG, March 15: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday said that his government had spent the highest amount ever on development programmes.
While replying to the general discussion on the budget during the ongoing Assembly session here on Monday, he said, “We have not only spent more money in any of the fiscal year in the past but also end up spending more money in the coming year.”
This is in sharp contrast to the failure of previous governments to utilise funds for development.
“But we are focusing on the centrally sponsored schemes and the externally aided projects. We are also trying to take maximum advantage based on the acts and norms of the Centre to derive the maximum of the loan component,” Sangma stated.
In view of these three factors the government will have the highest spending during the current fiscal year, he said.
Elaborating, the chief minister said that the state has reached a spending of over Rs 600 crore in terms of the funds of the PMGSY. “Just recently another tranche of funds was released and we expect to get another Rs 200 crore within this fiscal year to spend on PMGSY,” Sangma stated.
He further claimed that this has happened because the government has been very “efficient and quick” in releasing the money that comes from the Centre.
Apart from PMGSY, he informed that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has been implemented efficiently at the grass root level. “The budget allocation was approximately Rs 170 crore for this financial year. We might be the only state that has completely utilised the budgeted amount of Rs 170 crore and we might be the only state to be eligible to get bonus money from the Centre in terms of implementation of the JJM,” Sangma said.
He further informed that even on the MGNREGA, the government will be spending around Rs 1,600 crore during this fiscal year.
“This is a huge jump. A state like Assam which is close to ten times the size of Meghalaya has a budgeted provision of roughly Rs 2,000 crore for MGNREGA. We have an expenditure of Rs 1,600 crore which almost the same as Assam,” Sangma added.
He further informed that they have earmarked Rs 200 crore under the Chief Minister’s Mobilisation programme to support around 4 lakh farmers in the next two years. “During the financial year 2021-2022, we will be spending Rs 100 crore to benefit 2 lakh farmers. We will again target another 2 lakh farmers in the next year,” he said.
Under the programme, he said that the government is planning to create collective market centres to help the farmers fetch good price for their agriculture produce.
Sangma informed that farmers’ groups will be given Rs 5 lakh as working capital and Rs 7 lakh as loan to construct storage places.
PIGGERY MISSION
On the piggery mission, he said that the government is implementing this ambitious project to increase pork production in the state.
“At present, we have consumption of 15,000 MT annually and our production is only 6,000 MT. We are dependent on pigs from outside the state to meet the annual shortfall,” the chief minister informed.
Sangma informed that the state loses Rs 200 crore annually since this money goes to livestock farmers from outside the state.
“If we are able to implement the piggery mission in the right earnest by increasing our production then we will be able to retain Rs 200 crore which is going out of the state annually,” he said. A total number of 2000 plus farmers will be benefitting from the piggery mission in the next two years, he added.
“We might be able to export pork to the Northeastern states in the coming years if there is a surplus production of pork,” Sangma stated.
He said that the government is hoping that the farmers will be benefitted from the different missions and programme of the government like the Aqua Mission and Aroma Mission.
Tourism
On developing tourism sector, he admitted that infrastructure deficiency was a major bottleneck.
According to him, there is need to develop more quality rooms to be able accommodate more people.
In this regard, he also informed that they are looking to complete the Marriot and Crowborough hotel projects.
“Both these important projects will be functional at the earliest,” Sangma stated.
The chief minister also informed that they are planning to construct 100 more rooms at the Orchid resort in Umiam.
Informing that South West Khasi Hills will receive a major boost in terms of development of the tourism sector, he said that the government will invest Rs 320 crore to develop a new tourism circuit.
“We will be investing in development of the tourism destinations especially the hot springs at Jakrem,” the chief minister informed.