The Hindu : Session ends after passing vote-on-account

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 07, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Session ends after passing vote-on-account

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 6. The State Assembly adjourned sine die today after passing the Kerala Appropriation (Vote-on-Account) Bill, 2004, permitting the Government to draw from its consolidated fund a sum of Rs. 8,637.86 crores to defray its expenses for the first four months of 2004-05. The budget session lasted 15 days.

The Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, while winding up the discussion on the Appropriation Bill in the Assembly, noted that the budget presented by him had estimated a revenue receipt of Rs. 14,263.96 crores and revenue expenditure of Rs. 18,971.09 crores, leaving a revenue deficit of Rs. 4,707.13 crores for 2004-05.

And the total deficit for the year was estimated at the level of Rs. 395.27 crores.

He further noted that he had announced certain new expenses and concessions while replying to the general discussion on the budget. These would increase the total deficit for 2004-05 by another Rs. 33 crores.

Mr. Sankaranarayanan said the total Play outlay for the coming financial year would come to Rs. 5,447 crores, which included Rs. 4,800 crores under the State Plan, Rs. 628.50 crores under Centrally-sponsored programmes and Rs. 18.50 crores under special programmes. After the Lok Sabha elections, the Plan outlay might require revision depending on the policies of the new Government at the Centre, he added.

The Local self-Governments (LSGs) had been allotted Rs. 1,350 crores as Plan assistance. In addition to this, they would get Rs. 205.32 crores as multi-purpose grant and Rs. 325.79 crores as maintenance grant during 2004-05. These two grants were being extended to the LSGs as per the recommendations of the Second State Finance Commission (which had suggested devolving 3.5 per cent and 5.5 per cent of the revenue of the State from its own tax efforts to the LSGs as multi-purpose grant and maintenance grant respectively).

He referred to the Government's straitened means and said it would try to disburse the arrears due under various welfare pensions during the coming financial year, depending upon the availability of funds. Many members, belonging to both the UDF and the LDF, had urged him to give budget support to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). Mr. Sankaranarayanan promised them the Government would consider the issue, but said he could not give a firm commitment on it at the moment.

He said the immediate priority was how to tackle the severe drought conditions prevailing all over the State. A sum of Rs. 50 crores had been allotted to it and, upon the Chief Minister's express desire, the amount was enhanced by another Rs. 25 crores.

The State had also appealed to the Centre for its help.

Referring to the drought conditions prevailing in Palakkad district, he said

Tamil Nadu had released some water due to Kerala (from the Parambikulam-Aliyar project). He said funds would be released to expedite the completion of the Palakappandi (irrigation) project and the Thrithala-Velliyangal regulator-cum-bridge, to alleviate the irrigation water shortage in some parts of the district.

Pirappancode Murali and Saju Paul (CPI-M), Thampanur Ravi, K.K. Ramachandran Master and G. Prathapa Varma Thampan (Congress), K.P. Rajendran (CPI), V.K. Ebrahim Kunju (IUML), Narayana Kurup (Kerala Congress-M) and K.K. Shaju (JSS) participated in today's discussion.

The Speaker, Vakkom Purushothaman, before announcing the adjournment of the session, referred two privilege notices to the House's Committee for Privilege and Ethics. The first involved a complaint against the `Janmabhoomi' daily for publishing a report `denigrating' P. Jayarajan of the CPI(M) in his role as an MLA. The second complaint was against the Leader of the Opposition for certain public remarks he had made against Mr. Purushothaman in his role as the Speaker of the House.

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