New schemes unlikely in supplementary budget
BHUBANESWAR: The state government is unlikely to make provision for any new programme in the supplementary budget to be presented by finance minister Niranjan Pujari on November 20, the first day of the winter session of the assembly.
Official sources said all the administrative departments have already submitted their proposals for supplementary budget while a team of the finance department is in the process of fine-tuning the supplementary budget. The state council of ministers would approve the budget before it is tabled in the assembly.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the state’s revenue collection, it has also changed the spending priorities of the government. “So, we have been saying that the supplementary budget will be an exercise of re-prioritisation of the annual budget. Amid resource crunch, it may not be possible for the state government to make provision for a new scheme or programme,” said a senior government official.
Official sources said all administrative departments have been asked to make realistic assessment of requirement of funds in the supplementary budget to ensure that the scarce resources can be utilized effectively, efficiently and in a prudent manner and departments should not surrender funds at the end of the year.
The state government is likely to make provision in the supplementary budget for salary, pension and dearness allowance of government employees and pensioners and other establishment changes like provision of outstanding house rent, electricity dues, water charges and municipal dues and regularisation of advance expenditure taken during different times, said official sources.
As Covid-19 management and saving lives of the people remain the top priority of the state government, the supplementary budget is likely to make adequate provision for managing the pandemic. Among other priority areas, social security transfers, employment generation through various livelihood programmes, protecting the vulnerable sections, promoting agriculture, reviving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and industry sector will be given importance while making fund provisions in the supplementary budget.
Even as the state government has witnessed positive growth in revenue collection from mining sector because of collection of one-time upfront payment, many other sectors have recorded negative growth.