Ranchi, Feb 28: The Jharkhand Assembly on Friday passed the third supplementary budget of ₹5,508 crore for the financial year 2024-25 following a debate in the House.
Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore had tabled the supplementary budget on Thursday, allocating the highest outlay of ₹971.80 crore to the energy department, followed by ₹873.29 crore for rural works and ₹502.61 crore for home, jail, and disaster management.
During the discussion, BJP legislator Raj Sinha questioned the necessity of the supplementary budget just two days before the presentation of the main budget for 2025-26. He alleged that the government had managed to utilize only 60-65% of the total budget allocation for the current fiscal year, citing poor expenditure in the agriculture sector, which he claimed stood at only 20-22%.
Sinha further alleged a sharp decline in government job opportunities, stating that around 2.07 lakh government jobs had been lost over the past two years, leaving only 1.59 lakh positions currently available. He also criticized the government for failing to fulfill its employment promises, attributing high migration rates in the state to a lack of job opportunities for youths.
Responding to the concerns, Finance Minister Kishore pointed out that consecutive parliamentary and assembly elections had led to nearly five months being impacted by the Model Code of Conduct, affecting both revenue generation and expenditure. He explained that many departments had indicated their inability to utilize their allocated funds for 2024-25, prompting the government to reallocate unspent amounts to more pressing areas.
Following the debate, the supplementary budget was passed by a voice vote, and Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto adjourned the House until 11 AM on Monday.
Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore had tabled the supplementary budget on Thursday, allocating the highest outlay of ₹971.80 crore to the energy department, followed by ₹873.29 crore for rural works and ₹502.61 crore for home, jail, and disaster management.
During the discussion, BJP legislator Raj Sinha questioned the necessity of the supplementary budget just two days before the presentation of the main budget for 2025-26. He alleged that the government had managed to utilize only 60-65% of the total budget allocation for the current fiscal year, citing poor expenditure in the agriculture sector, which he claimed stood at only 20-22%.
Sinha further alleged a sharp decline in government job opportunities, stating that around 2.07 lakh government jobs had been lost over the past two years, leaving only 1.59 lakh positions currently available. He also criticized the government for failing to fulfill its employment promises, attributing high migration rates in the state to a lack of job opportunities for youths.
Responding to the concerns, Finance Minister Kishore pointed out that consecutive parliamentary and assembly elections had led to nearly five months being impacted by the Model Code of Conduct, affecting both revenue generation and expenditure. He explained that many departments had indicated their inability to utilize their allocated funds for 2024-25, prompting the government to reallocate unspent amounts to more pressing areas.
Following the debate, the supplementary budget was passed by a voice vote, and Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto adjourned the House until 11 AM on Monday.
