Shillong, March 9: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today presented the budget for the year 2022-23 with a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,849 crore, which is 4.5 per cent of the GSDP.
For 2022-23, the CM, who also holds the Finance portfolio, estimated the total receipt at Rs 18,700 crore, of which the revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 16,035 crore and capital receipts at Rs 2,665 crore. Excluding borrowings of Rs 2,632 crore, the total receipts are estimated at Rs 16,068 crore.
On the expenditure side, the CM has estimated the total expenditure at Rs 18,881 crore, of which the revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 15,376 crore and capital expenditure at Rs 3,505 crore. Excluding payment of loans of Rs 964 crore, the total expenditure is Rs 17,917 crore.
Interest payments for 2022-23 is estimated at Rs 1,110 crore and pension payments at Rs 1,469 crore.
STATE FINANCES: KEY HIGHLIGHTS
>> The State’s GSDP for the current financial year is pegged at Rs 37,494 crore. Given the positive outlook for the economy, the GSDP estimate for 2022-23 stands at Rs 41,010 crore.
>> For the current financial year, the state government received Rs 5,851 crore as a share of central taxes against the original estimates of Rs 5,105 crore.
>> Under the Special Capital Assistance Program, the Union Finance Ministry had sanctioned Rs 300 crore for taking up various capital projects.
>> For 2022-23, the state’s share of central taxes is estimated at Rs 6,264 crore. The state will also be receiving Rs 1,033 crore as revenue deficit grant, Rs 76 crore as grants for disaster management, Rs 140 crore for the Autonomous District Councils, Rs 69 crore for Urban Local Bodies and Rs 59 crore as grants for the health sector.
>> The total transfers from the Government of India, excluding the schemes-related transfers, are estimated at Rs 7,641 crore.
>> The Government of India has increased the size of the “Special Capital Assistance” pool from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore. Out of this, Rs 614 crore has been allocated to Meghalaya for taking up various capital works in 2022-23.
>> The own-tax revenue of the State for the current financial year, including GST compensation, is expected to touch Rs 2,213 crore. This includes an anticipated excise revenue of Rs 300 crore.
>> For the year 2022-23, the overall tax revenues are estimated to be Rs 2,625 crore, out of which excise revenue is estimated at Rs 350 crore.
>>The non-tax revenue collection during the current financial year is expected to touch Rs 541 crore.
>> For 2022-23, the government is taking steps to auction a large proportion of the 32 lakh metric tons of extracted coal.
>> The non-tax revenue from the mining sector is estimated to be Rs 500 crore and the overall non-tax revenue is estimated to be Rs 731 crore.
>> For the current financial year, the overall central transfers and State’s own resources are estimated at Rs 10,189 crore. The State’s overall expenditure for the current financial year is estimated to touch an “all-time high” of Rs 15,600 crore, a 13 per cent increase over the expenditure of the previous financial year and a 58 per cent increase over the expenditure in 2017-18.
>> For 2022-23, an overall expenditure of Rs 18,881 crore is projected. Out of this, Rs 14,448 crore will come from State resources and the rest will be leveraged from central resources.
>> The revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 15,376 crore and the capital expenditure is estimated at 3,505 crore.
INFRASTRUCTURE
>> To undertake the construction of new roads and to complete the ongoing projects, the government is allocating an amount of Rs 1,770 crore for the year 2022-23 for the roads sector, out of which Rs 519 crore is for PMGSY, Rs 220 crore specifically for the rural roads and the remaining will be for the various State road projects.
WATER SUPPLY
>> For 2022-23, construction and augmentation of the water supply schemes at Tura, Shangpung, Mawkyrwat, Umlyngka and Pynursla will be taken up at a total cost of Rs 150 crore.
TRANSPORT
>> The government is planning to add more flights to more cities during 2022-23. Currently, the state has direct connectivity to eight different cities.
>> In 2022-23, helicopter services will be made operational on new routes to Williamnagar, Dawki and Sohra.
>> The FM is allocating Rs 101 crore for the transport sector in 2022-23.
POWER
>> To strengthen the distribution network, the Meghalaya Power Distribution Sector Improvement Project’ is being implemented at a total cost of Rs 1,225 crore.
>> For the power sector, the finance minister is allocating Rs 467 crore in 2022-23.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HEALTH
>> The government is investing about Rs 350 crore with assistance from the World Bank to improve the overall health infrastructure in the State.
>> As part of the project, all the 659 health centres will be upgraded within the next five years.
>> For the year 2022-23, an amount of Rs 60 crore for the ‘Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project’ is being allocated.
>> Rs 1,617 crore is being allocated for the entire Health sector, an increase of 28 per cent over the allocation in the current financial year.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EDUCATION
>> The process for constructing 39 ‘Eklavya Model Residential Schools’ has started.
>> 208 primary and secondary school buildings are being built at a cost of Rs 109 crore and shall be completed by December 2022.
>> For 2022-23, another 111 schools will be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore.
>> The government has already operationalized nine Peoples’ colleges across the State. The second phase of the selection and operationalization of additional people’s colleges will be done during 2022-23.
ART & CULTURE AND SPORTS & YOUTH AFFAIRS
>> The construction of the ‘Shillong International Centre for Performing Arts and Culture’ – SICPAC – shall be completed by June 2022. It is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 151 crore.
>> The up-gradation of the J.N. Stadium in Shillong at a cost of Rs 40 crore and the construction of the new P.A. Sangma Integrated Sports Complex in Tura at a cost of Rs 128 crore shall be completed by December 2022.
>> The construction of the state-of-the-art indoor stadium at the J.N. Sports complex with facilities including 12 badminton courts, an indoor shooting range, a jogging track and an amphitheater shall also commence in 2022-23 with a total project cost of Rs 97 crore.
>> The works for the ‘Tribal Research Centre’ being built in Babadam, West Garo Hills is ongoing. The project cost is about 42 crore and it is expected to become a “Centre of Excellence” for the Northeastern region.
>> Rs 10 crore is allocated towards the program for engagement and training in soft skills of 10,000 youth under the ‘Meghalaya Youth Policy’.
>> Rs 10 crore is being allocated for the ‘Skills Meghalaya’ program for 2022-23 to cover 10,000 youth.
>> An amount of Rs 25 crore is allocated to set up 15 more PRIME hubs in 2022-23.
>> The ‘Chief Minister’s Youth Centres’, which will be vibrant centres for the engagement of the youth will also be set up in 10 locations in 2022-23.
>> The government is allocating Rs 208 crore for Sports and Youth Affairs in 2022-23, an increase of 13 per cent over the allocation during the current financial year.
>> Aggregating all the investments being proposed for youth in 2022-23, the size of the youth budget comes to Rs 1,363 crore. This constitutes about 7 per cent of the total budget size.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GOVERNANCE
>> The new assembly building being constructed at Mawdiangdiang at a cost of Rs 216 crore shall be ready in the coming months. The next session will be held in the new assembly. An amount of Rs 100 crore is being allocated for the completion of the project in 2022-23.
>> Mini secretariat complexes shall be built at Tura and Jowai at a cost of Rs 45 crore. Further, an amount of Rs 150 crore shall also be spent for the creation of administrative infrastructure at all the district headquarters.
>> The up-gradation and new construction of block infrastructure shall be taken up at 40 blocks in 2022-23 at a cost of Rs 120 crore.
>> An amount of Rs 100 crore is earmarked for the up-gradation of the police and law and order infrastructure for 2022-23.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR JOBS
>> The government will be taking up the second phase of the Technology Park in 2022-23. When completed it will create about 4,500 jobs over the next few years.
>> Rs 120 crore is allocated for the IT sector in 2022-23, an increase of 31 per cent over the allocation in the current financial year.
TOURISM
>> The government is doubling the allocation for the tourism sector to Rs 173 crore for 2022-23, compared to the current financial year.
URBAN REJUVENATION
>> The process of obtaining clearances for the ‘Shillong Peak Ropeway’ are at an advanced stage and the construction is expected to commence during 2022-23. The project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 116 crore.
>> To reduce traffic congestion in Shillong, the government will soon be introducing a pool school bus system with a fleet size of around 100 mini-buses.
>> A fleet of electric buses for public transport in Shillong city will also be introduced. The government is allocating Rs 20 crore for improving mobility in Shillong.
>> During 2022-23, works will start for the construction for the state-of-the-art ‘Integrated Hospitality and Convention Centre’ costing Rs 52 crore.
>> Projects related to the beautification of additional junctions, installation of street lights, and solid waste management will be taken up in 2022-23 at a cost of Rs 20 crore.
>> An additional Rs 10 crore is being allocated for the Jowai smart town project.
AGRICULTURE
>> For 2022-23, the government plans to cover all the 4.5 lakh farming households in the State under the FOCUS programme of the state government.
>> To achieve the target, Rs 150 crore is being allocated for 2022-23, which the CM claims is the single largest allocation to any program ever in the history of the State.
>> The government is earmarking Rs 10 crore for 2022-23 for the implementation of initiatives under the Lakadong Mission.
>> The government is allocating Rs 10 crore for the honey mission for 2022-23.
>> Rs 5 crore will be allocated for the mushroom mission and the aroma mission.
>> Rs 10 crore is allocated for 2022-23 for the launch of a new ‘Ginger Mission’.
>> Government to launch the ‘Spice Mission’ with an investment of Rs 10 crore during 2022-23.
>> Government is earmarking an amount of Rs 10 crore for the cultivation of herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley and thyme in Meghalaya.
>> Rs 5 crore is allocated for the cultivation of a high-value crop, buckwheat.
>> The government is allocating Rs 52 crore for the Piggery and the Milk missions.
>> The government will initiate the poultry and the goatery missions with support from the ‘National Cooperative Development Corporation’ during 2022-23 with an investment of Rs 200 crore.
>> An amount of Rs 63 crore is allocated for the textiles sector.
>> An amount of Rs 20 crore shall be spent in 2022-23 for the continuation of the Integrated Village Cooperative Societies movement.
>> Government to build 20 more ‘Farmer-owned-Farmer-operated’ markets at a cost of Rs 10 crore for the year 2022-23.
>> Government to launch a new scheme for providing 200 vehicles to individual entrepreneurs, collectives and cooperatives at 50 per cent subsidy for transporting raw materials and produce.
>> Government is allocating Rs 916 crore for the Agri and allied sectors in 2022-23, marking an increase of 29 per cent over the current financial year’s allocation.
WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
>> Government is allocating Rs 25 crore for the implementation of the ‘Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme’ in 2022-23.
>> Government is allocating an amount of Rs 115 crore for mobilising women through Self Help Groups this program for 2022-23.
>> Combining all the investments being proposed for women for 2022-23, the size of the gender budget comes to Rs 2,495 crore. This constitutes about 13 per cent of the total budget size and is 20 per cent higher than the allocations for the current financial year.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
>> An amount of Rs 10 crore is allocated for providing interest subvention and strengthening financial inclusion.
>> Rs 10 crore is allocated to expand the ‘Livelihood Improvement Finance Company of Meghalaya’ – LIFCOM in 2022-23.