Patna, Aug. 2: Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi tabled the first supplementary budget for this financial year to the tune of over Rs 9,672 crore on the first day of the Assembly’s monsoon session on Thursday.
“Around Rs 6,722 crore has been earmarked for the state plan, which is in addition to Rs 28,000 crore already kept under this head. However, by the end of this fiscal year, the state plan size will remain at Rs 28,000 crore as we will be surrendering funds of departments that are unable to spend. The provision, however, gives more funds to departments which need them,” said Modi, who also holds the portfolio of the finance ministry.
Around Rs 1,000 crore of this fund has been kept separate for disbursing as loan to the state food and civil supplies corporation for foodgrain procurement. Another Rs 800 crore would be used for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. A sum of Rs 742 crore has been allotted for scholarship of students hailing from backward classes. To tackle with natural calamities under unforeseen circumstances, another Rs 419 crore has been earmarked while Rs 220 crore has been allotted for the chief minister’s ambitious project — uniforms for school-going girls.
At least Rs 200 crore would be used for giving diesel subsidy to farmers. In the non-plan expenditure, Rs 2,250 crore has been earmarked for Bihar Contingency Fund. On the other hand, the opening day of the assembly session was a tame affair with the leader of the Opposition, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, was absent.
Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary, during his speech, spoke of the legislators’ delegation that went to Bhutan in June and said that the statements made in the Bhutan national assembly reflected the deep cultural and traditional ties of the country with Bihar.
He also referred to the initiative taken by the state government to set up a science city — for encouraging students — in Bihar and appealed to all MLAs for extending their support to run the House smoothly.
Following the House was adjourned after paying tributes to deceased leaders, several women NDA MLAs went to the chief minister’s office to tie a rakhi on his wrist to mark Raksha Bandhan.
