Mein’s budget sails smooth
[ Tongam Rina ]
ITANAGAR, Mar 14: Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that his government will scrap motivated individual projects as he proposed decentralization of planning through the district planning boards.
He said this while taking part at the budget discussion on Wednesday at the legislative assembly.
The chief minister said that all planning will be done at the legislative constituency level instead of top-down approach and individual projects.
The chief minister’s response came after the Peoples’ Party of Arunachal (PPA) members said that most of them were not aware of the funds being released against their constituencies and skewed distribution of funds under the State Infrastructure Development Fund (SIDF).
The chief minister said that none of the directorates or the state secretariat should forward any individual project as he also sent out a warning to his elected colleagues not to send notes in support of these projects that come without the approval of the district planning boards.
The chief minister further said that members of the 15th Finance Commission will be visiting the state from 6-8 April as he sought proposals from all the elected representatives, including the opposition, PPA.
The chief minister further said that the state needs to harness the natural resources in order to be to financially independent.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who is also the Finance minister, said that the state needs to generate revenue by making use of the natural resources, including mining, petroleum and hydro power.
He further said that economy of the state needs to be opened up in line with the Centre’s Act East Policy with the South East Asian Nations. Mein admitted that the state faces the problem of scattered project proposals, delay in submissions, subsequently leading to delay in release of funds -a concern raised by the opposition bench.
The budget, hailed by the treasury bench and praised, though not without riders by the PPA (who had disrupted the proceedings on the day of the budget presentation), was passed today with a voice vote.
The budget presented on 12 March projected a deficit of Rs 546 crore with total outlay of Rs 19,261 crore with emphasis on Education, Skill Development, Health, Governance Reforms, IT, Infrastructure, Social Security and Agriculture & Allied Sectors.
Vanishing tribal languages: Art and Culture Minister Dr Mohesh Chai said that efforts need to be put to save the languages of the state as he said that Mra and Nah languages of Upper Subansiri district are almost on the verge of vanishing. He said that there has to be a concerted effort by the government along with communities of the state to ensure that scripts of all the languages in the state are developed.
Education Minister Honchun Ngandam said that in due consultation with the tribal organizations, the state will come up with a third language policy.
Tezu lynching and crime against children: Home Minister Kumar Waii said that the case has been registered against those responsible for lynching of two men in Tezu and that investigation is on. Two men, who were in police custody, were lynched by public in Tezu on 19 Februaryfor rape and murder of a five-year-old kindergarten student.
Responding to PPA’s Tanga Byaling’s supplementary question on upgrading the police force, the Home Minister said that process of recruitment of 1200 police personnel will start within two months.
Waii said that there is a marginal increase in the total number of criminal cases registered in Arunachal Pradesh in the year 2017 as compared to the previous year 2016. While the total crime registered in 2017 was 2731, the corresponding figures in 2016 were 2699.
He, however, said that heinous cases (murder, attempt to murder, rape, kidnapping/abduction, dacoity and robbery), have slightly decreased. Total 363 heinous cases were registered in 2017 as compared to 366 in 2016. There is a reduction in number of rape cases registered in Arunachal Pradesh too with 63 cases having been reported in 2017 as compared to 92 in 2016, he said.
Quotes of the Day
=> Public aakey individually lene galat hain: Tanga Byaling on rape vigilantes attacking police stations
=> Aapka asli dushman to nehi hain: an upset Byaling for alleging lack of funds for his constituency
=> Museum kaha chala geya?: Pani Taram speaking on Arunachal Guest house in Mumbai where there was a proposal for a museum
=> Police stations sab sar geye: Tirong Aboh on dilapidated police stations
=> Arunachal main gender equality hamesa raha hain: Nyamar Karbak
=> Har Mahina aurat ko do-tin packet lagta hain: Karya Bagang praising the proposal of Rs 2 cr for sanitary napkins
=> Milne se toh sab constituency ko milega: Nabam Tuki proposing irrigation facility.
=> NEFA jamana ka infrastructure hain. Koi koi girney wala hain: Chowna Mein on crumbling infrastructure
=> Kahi-Kahi office main gafla ho jata hain: Pema Khandu on departments not being able to implement schemes
=> Nehi hone wala cheez bhi yaha hain: Tirong Aboh on ambitious plan of the government to electrify all villages by April 2018
=> Main culprit ko pakarna parega: Kumar Waii on Tezu lynching
=> Prisoners are supplied opium and drugs by police personnel: Lombo Tayeng
