Extra expense incurred by NDA govt causing impendiment:Marandi

Ranchi, Mar 20, (UNI) Jharkhand's Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi today said that the government was facing problem fixing its priorities owing to the extra expenditure incurred by the previous NDA government.

Meanwhile, the Opposition benches remained vacant as per their earlier announcement of a walkout from the debate.

Replying to the debate, Mr Marandi, also in-charge of finance, said the NDA had spent money on trivial issues and therefore the UPA government was finding it hard to set its priorities straight.

Mr Marandi said the main focus in the budget was rural development, education and the health sector adding the government wished to uplift the rural population.

Stressing the need to check financial irregularities and over expenditure, Mr Marandi said the government was prepering to bring the FRBN bill in the assembly.

He said the government would also try to lessen the deficit between non-plan and plan expenditure.

Terming the present budget as 'social eqaulity' he said more and more technical institutions would be established besides strengthening the present institutes.

He said the government had also taken the displacement as a challenge and every measure would be taken to check it.

Earlier, Pradeep Balmuchu(Cong) said the government should also concentrate on increasing its rervenue.

Others who participated in the debate were Ravindra Nath Mahto, Amulya Sardar, Thomas Soren (all JMM) and Ramchandra Chandravanshi(RJD).

Suspended BJP MLA Vishnu Bhaiya, initiating the debate, said the government had no moral right to pass the budget as it did nothing for the state's development.

The debate remained inconclusive.

UNI