AGARTALA, March 4 � Tripura Assembly on Friday passed a resolution seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh�s intervention for additional financial support to tide over the unprecedented financial crisis in the State after the inadequate award of 13th Finance Commission.
Shortly after the question hour on the inaugural day of the Budget session in the Assembly, treasury bench member Sanakar Prasad Dutta moved the resolution saying that the inadequate award of the 13th Finance Commission has put the State in an extremely difficult position.
He alleged that the 13th Finance Commission did not do justice while finalising the non-plan expenditure of the State Government for the next five years. He further mentioned that the State Government had demanded Rs 26,848.25 crore from the 13th Finance Commission but it has allocated only Rs 16,349.13 crore for the next five years.
�There has been a gap of Rs 10,499 crore�, he said adding that the FC had wrongly estimated the State�s non-plan expenditure for the next five year plan.
However, opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath tried to shield the FC�s award saying that it had finalised the State�s outlay for meeting the salary and pension expenditure based on prescribed norms. As he was all set to deliver a long speech on the issue, Deputy Speaker Banulal Saha did not allow him saying that he is to abide by the Assembly procedures. Offended by Saha�s stricture, opposition legislators staged a walk-out from the House.
In reply, Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury admitted that the State is in extremely difficult situation due to inadequate award of the 13th Finance Commission.
He pointed out that the FC had allocated only 61 per cent of the State Government demand while 81 per cent demand was met by the 12th FC. �The FC has miscalculated the State�s actual requirement leading to severe financial crunch�, he said. Later, the resolution was passed by voice vote though opposition members were out of the House.
Earlier, the Budget session got underway with the speech of Governor DY Patil on Friday. In his speech, the Governor highlighted the State Government efforts to improve socio-economic condition of the people of the State.