NCP leader slams government over financial indiscipline

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former finance minister Jayant Patil slammed the government on Tuesday in the Assembly accusing it of financial indiscipline, not spending of funds and failing to meet targets. He attacked the government for making fewer financial provisions in the budget. Mr Patil alleged that there were no policy statements in the budget and the figures of provisions were doubtful. 

While attacking the government in the budget discussions, Mr Patil said, “Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had mentioned provisions on various heads including salary component in the budget speech. But he didn’t speak about economic policy, challenges faced by the state’s economy and the strategy of the government to tackle them.  No word was mentioned about GST in the state. Mungantiwar has mentioned the provision of Rs 13,000 crore for the home department, but the major part is it is just the salary component.” 

Mr Patil cited the figures of spending by the several ministers till January 2018 to attack the government. He alleged, “Though provisions were made in the budget last year, funds were not spent, and targets were not achieved. Many commitments are made in the budget speech for next financial year, but fewer provisions are made. Still, record breaking fiscal and revenue deficit is estimated which will increase substantially, during the year.”

The leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil has also attacked the government and alleged that figures mentioned in the budget are not true and commitments are made without doing sufficient provisions for funds.