Mizoram government facing financial crunch

AIZAWL: The Congress government in Mizoram led by Chief Minister LalThanhawla, facing attack from the Opposition for its alleged failure in fiscal management, has been saddled with a financial crunch in the current fiscal.

State finance department officials said that the government availed overdraft four times since April one till June 30 this year despite availing Ways and Means Advance 23 times and Special Ways and Means Advances 22 times during the same period.

Mizoram government was in overdraft on March 30 (Rs 46.70 crore), June one (Rs 78.83 crore), June 29 (Rs 83.79 crore) and June 30 (Rs 0.01 crore) this year, the officials said.

They said that the Mizoram government availed Ways and Means Advance for 23 times, the total amounting to Rs 182. 09 crore and Special Ways and Means for 22 times amounting to Rs 142. 57 crore .

"The Union Ministry of Finance so far released only Rs 29.6 crore to the Mizoram government till July 15 under the plan fund, of the total outlay of Rs 2,500 crore," the officials said.

Finance Minister H. Liansailova also said that small and poor states like Mizoram having negligible amount of their own resources always face fiscal crunch.

Liansailova alleged that the present fiscal condition stemmed from the fact that the Centre released minimum amount of fund barely for payment of salaries of the government employees and administrative costs.