By Our Kokrajhar Bureau
Kokrajhar (Assam) , April 4: The budget session of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) began on Monday with Speaker Katiram Boro leading the house at its Assembly House in Bodofa Nwgwr ,here .
Chief executive member of BTC Pramod Boro, who also holds the Finance department, presented a normal budget estimates of BTC of Rs 3271.3148 crore against the estimated receipt of Rs 3157.6633 crore with deficit amount of Rs 113.6515 crore for the financial year 2022-23 for consideration of the house.
In his budget speech, he informed that the budget allocation for the year 2021-22 includes consolidated State Owned Priority Development (SOPD), Assistance to BTC for Infrastructure development as per BTR accord by Central Government as One Time Special Grant, Ex-gratia payment to as Bodoland Martyrs, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY), Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojna (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), 15th Finance Commission, 6th Assam State Finance Commission, Social Welfare (Central Share) and other financial assistance for construction of residential accommodation for BTC, Legislative Assembly and salary of BTC Legislative Assembly.
Giving assurance for maintaining financial stability of the council, he said that efforts had been taken to carry forward all round development of the council, along with compression of non-essential expenditure, close monitoring of various departments’ schemes with strict enforcement of financial discipline, transparency and accountability. He also mentioned about Bodoland Territorial Council Vision-2030, a road map on how sustainable development goals could be contextualized in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) for establishment of stronger and integrated governance system.
During his speech, BTC chief executive member Boro conveyed his gratitude to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the special financial assistance of Rs 1500 crore as per BTR agreement along with Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma for announcing an Ex-gratia payment of Rs.5 lakh each to 500 Martyr families of Bodoland movement by allocating Rs.25.00 crore in the current state budget. He also informed that his government would provide school uniforms and bicycles to poor students, motor-bikes with ice boxes to fish vendors, house building materials to poor rural households, tricycles to differently-abled persons, tricycles to municipalities to carry waste materials, including for establishment of digital office management system with a view to establish accountability, transparency and responsive system in BTC.
As per the budget estimates of BTC for the financial year 2022-23, he has earmarked for all 41 departments of BTC as Rs 93.80 crore for the Public Works Department under SOPD for construction and conversion of 100 Km roads and 10 km bridges respectively, Rs 52.34 crore for Panchayat and Rural Development to ensure effective rural development, Rs 127.1606 crore for education department for residential coaching to 50 meritorious students under Bodoland Super-50 Mission and construction and renovation of schools, boundary walls, additional class rooms, smart class rooms, etc, Rs 48.50 crore for Environment and Forest, Rs1314.7034 crore for WPT and BC, Rs 5.00 crore for Land Revenue and Disaster Management, Rs 72.92 crore for Health and Family Welfare department, Rs 5.90 crore for Public Health Engineering, Rs11.75 crore for Urban Development, Rs 27.00 crore for Crop Husbandry and Agriculture Engineering department, Rs 124.8934 crore for Irrigation department, Rs 19.50 crore for Water Resources department, Rs 10.00 crore, for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department, Rs7.00 crore for Soil Conservation, Rs 2.90 crore for Dairy Development department, Rs 7.00 crore for Fishery department, Rs 4.00 crore for Co-operation department, Rs 6.00 crore for Industry department, Rs 15.2136 crore for Handloom and Textile, Rs 7.40 crore for Sports and Youth Welfare department, Rs 8.66 crore for Social Welfare department, Rs 37.48 crore for Public Works by GAD of BTC, Rs 5.50 crore for Sericulture, Rs 4.90 crore for Transport services, Rs 8.66 crore for Tourism, Rs 61 lakh for Economic and Statistics, Rs 55 lakh for Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs, Rs 35 lakh for Legal Metrology department, Rs 4.90 crore, Rs 4.20 crore for Library services, Rs 1.30 crore for Museum and Archeology, Rs 3.90 crore for Information and Public Relations department, Rs 2.00 crore for Printing and Stationery, Rs 12.15 crore for Skill Employment and Entrepreneurship, Rs 50 lakh for Labour and Employment, Rs 15 lakh for Excise department, Rs 3.70 crore for Market and Fairs, Rs 3.15 crore for Cinema/Theater department and Rs 4.15 crore for Transformation and Development department.
On the first day, as per the business schedule, Speaker announced the report of the Business Advisory Committee under Rule 230 of the council Legislative Assembly. He also announced the names of the members of the panel of Chairmen under 9(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Bodoland Territorial Council Legislative Assembly.
The opposition BPF members walked out from the BTC Budget session objecting the Government business schedule.
The opposition leader Derhasat Basumatary strongly opposed the Speaker’s agenda for deferring in the initial stages of the session. Later, Opposition members participated in the question hour which was carried out in the next item just after presentation of budget .
