By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 15: The state government on Thursday said it is managing its finances prudently despite persistent challenges, citing a significant rise in expenditure compared to previous years and rejecting claims that linked temporary office closures to a shortage of funds.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said during the tenure of the previous government, total expenditure up to December used to be around Rs 10,000 crore. In contrast, he said the state’s expenditure in the current financial year up to December 2025 reached Rs 23,496 crore. “That is our total expenditure this (financial) year till December,” the chief minister said.
He said the expenditure in December alone was close to Rs 2,000 crore which included two months’ salary for employees and bills of various departments. He did not have the detailed break-up but said the spendings covered multiple obligations across departments.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that managing finances is never easy. “Financials are always a challenge. It is never easy, and there are different aspects of finance that we have to look at,” he said.
He denied any link between the temporary closure of offices and a lack of funds. “There is absolutely no relation between the closing of offices on the 19th (of December last year) and the availability of funds,” he said.
Explaining the decision, Sangma said offices normally close around December 23 during the Christmas period, and the government only adjusted the schedule slightly.
He added that administrative reforms and technological interventions over the last seven and a half years have reduced year-end pressure. “A lot of work today is structured in such a way that there is not as much stress around December or at the end of March,” he said.
The chief minister highlighted the role of digital systems such as e-proposals which allow files, approvals, and payments to be processed online regardless of physical location. “Even if an officer is in another part of the country, proposals can be cleared and payments can be made online,” he said, citing an instance where payments to casual workers were processed online while officials were in Delhi. He said that despite physical office closures on December 19 and 20, financial transactions continued on December 20, 22, and even December 24. “There was a centrally sponsored scheme transaction that needed to be cleared, and it was done on the evening of December 24,” he said.
Sangma said the focus has been on putting proper mechanisms in place to ensure continuity of work. “That is what we have been doing,” he said, assuring the people of the state that public money is being spent judiciously. He did not wish to react to criticism but placed the figures on record. “I am just giving you the facts,” he added.
