Ranchi: Chief Minister Raghubar Das has promised that his government will present a people�s friendly budget by ensuring people�s participation in budget making.
Promising about an �Aam Budget� the chief minister said that the government would take note of aspirations of the people while drafting the budget. �It would be a pro-people budget which will take into account every segment of development,� he said. The CM was addressing a pre-budget meet held in Ranchi today.
Raghubar Das said that the State Government was in the process of constituting Jharkhand Development Mission to give impetus to development activities. The Mission will incorporate ministers, MPs, legislators, representatives from corporate sector, heads of public undertakings and experts from diverse fields who would send reports every three months to government on budget spending and benefits incurring out of it.
The CM said that the government would ensure participation of villagers in development process by constituting Adivasi Development Council. The council will chalk out village development plan and involve villagers in the process. The farmers having a greater understanding of agriculture would also participate in developing irrigation infrastructure while the government engineers would make estimates of the projects, he said.
The CM said that the present government would work sincerely for providing necessary assistance to farmers, development of basic infrastructure, skill development, promotion of cottage industry, and providing rights to women, children, physically challenged and the poor. He said that agriculture would be accorded the status of industry.
Equal development of agriculture, IT and Industry would be ensured. Jharkhand will emerge as a hub of education, energy, IT and industry within next four years, the CM promised.
Raghubar Das further said the government has received numerous suggestions at the pre-budget meet some of which would be incorporated in this year�s budget. Budget preparations for 2016-17 would be started from the month of September this year itself, he said.
Pre-budget initiatives ought to be started well in advance so that government could incorporate suggestions from all sections for a people-oriented budget, he observed. He said that suggestions for tax reform would be incorporated in the budget.
Welfare Minister Louis Marandi said that pre-budget discussion had set a new precedent in Jharkhand. She said that the present government was committed to development and for this the spirit of team work would be developed. It is necessary to make governance more transparent and accountable, she said.
Urban Development Minister CP Singh observed that the budget would ensure development of every section of society. The government would take special care of development of the poor and backward communities, he said. Legislator Saryu Roy stressed on the need of useful expenditure of budgetary fund.
Legislator Radha Krishna Kishore stressed on the need of greater monitoring in budget preparation, proper expenditure of budgetary allocations and its monitoring and realization of revenues on time.
On the occasion the chief secretary Rajiv Gauba said that the budget would reflect the priorities of the government. Apart from traditional fields Jharkhand has immense potential for eco-tourism development and horticulture development. The pre-budget discussion is a part of greater public consultation, he said.
Principal secretary (Finance) Rajbala Verma said that the government had sought suggestions from representatives from all sections of society so as to present a quality budget for the people. She stressed on the need of infrastructure development along with industry and agricultural growth.
Representatives of CII, National Foundation of India, UN Women�s cell, Save the Child, Unicef and other distinguished persons attended the discussion.