STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The thrust of the Assam Government is on tabling a ‘productive’ Annual State Budget for 2023-24. The budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly will begin from March 10, 2023 and the Annual State Budget will be tabled on March 16.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and State Finance Minister Ajanta Neog are busy preparing the State’s Annual Budget for 2023-24. The Finance Minister has held meetings with all the departments to discuss the budget utilization for the current financial year 2022-23. The Finance Minister also discussed the budget proposals of the departments. Meetings are now going on at the Chief Ministerial level. The Chief Minister today held the third round of talks with different departments regarding their budget preparations.
Sources said that the Finance Minister, while reviewing the budget preparations of all departments, directed the departments to come up with ‘productive’ budget estimates. Departments should send budget proposals for only those schemes which are likely to yield positive results. The Finance Minister instructed the departments not to prepare budget proposals for such schemes which may not be properly implemented at the ground level. Also, if the Finance Department finds any scheme unrealistic, it will be dropped.
The Finance Minister also instructed all departments that no Central fund should lapse due to non-release of the State share. The minister said that the current financial year had not ended and there was still time for departments to follow up with the Finance Department for release of the State share of funds.
Sources further said that all budget proposals submitted by the departments will be reviewed by the Chief Minister so that finally a productive Annual Budget can be tabled.
Following instructions from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Finance Department has focused on including three features in the Annual State Budget 2023-24. These three features are ‘green, resilience and innovation’.
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