PANAJI
Quoting CAG reports, AAP MLA Venzy Viegas on Tuesday alleged serious issues in the State budget, including Rs 2,500 crore of “unrealised” revenue and Rs 2,066 crore of spending without ‘utilisation certificates’.
“Consistently, these budget exercises have been promising us Mount Everest but only end up delivering to us Moti dongor,” Viegas said during the budget discussion.
Viegas said the Economic Survey for 2024-25 presented on March 26 last year had flawed figures, which were quietly changed on April 12.
“This amounts to breach of privilege. If the figures in documents presented to this House cannot be relied on that what are we talking about the budget for?” Viegas asked, urging the Speaker to inquire.
He said figures for Electricity, Education and Public Works have been wrong every year since 2019-20.
Citing CAG reports, Viegas said the State underspends its capital budget by up to 40 percent, with Rs 400 crore less spent on roads, bridges and buildings as funds remain stuck in incomplete projects.
He questioned why departments fail to provide ‘utilisation certificates’, calling it shameful that the CAG points out the same issues every year.
On “non-realised” revenue, Viegas said, “The CAG has clearly remarked that up to Rs 2,066 crore of revenue receipts have remained unrealised, mostly water charges.”
“What is the government doing to recover this money. Why are we not aggressively going after recovering this money?” he asked.
