STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The State Government took over Rs 96,000 crore in loans from various sources in the last ten years, during which it got Rs 3.52 lakh crore from the Central Government as grants, shares of taxes, etc.
State Finance Minister Ajanta Neog informed the State Assembly of this in a written reply to a question from MLA Ashraful Hussain.
Neog said, “From 2012–13 to 2021–22, the State Government took around Rs 96,350 crore in loans from various sources. The sources of loans are market, financial institutions, the state provident fund, and central loans. The State government took loans amounting to around Rs 53,000-crore in three years from 2019–20 to 2021–22. The government spent this amount on infrastructure development, capital projects, and welfare schemes. During the three years, the government paid Rs 15,685 crore as interest.”
Neog further said, “In the past ten years, the State government has received Rs 3.52 lakh crore in the form of central share tax, grants, Finance Commission grants, centrally allocated schemes, etc. In 2012-13, the State government got Rs 19,967 crore from the Centre, and the amount increased to Rs 58,477 crore in 2021-22.”
Neog said earlier that state governments take loans as per RBI guidelines and the states’ FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) Act, 2003. She said that the State Government did not take loans to the fullest amount it could as per the RBI guidelines. The government spends the loan amounts for the development of the state, she said.
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