Gangtok, May 20 (IPR): The Sikkim Legislative Assembly passed the General Budget of Rs. 12,146.51 crore for the financial year 2023-24 on the final day of the Seventh Session of the Tenth Assembly (Budget Session 2023-24) of the SLA today.
The Annual General Budget for the financial year 2023-24 had been presented to the House on the first day of the Budget Session on 17th May 2023 by Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang, also the Minister-in-Charge of Finance Department, Government of Sikkim.
The budgetary profile for the financial year 2023-24 reads: “Against a gross expenditure provision of Rs. 12146.51 crores, (Rupees twelve thousand one hundred forty-six crores and fifty-one lakh) the net outgo comes to Rs. 11806.51 crores (Rupees eleven thousand eight hundred six crores and fifty-one lakh) after taking into account recoveries amounting to Rs. 340.00 crores (Rupees three hundred forty crores).”
The House also passed the Sikkim Appropriation Bill, 2023 (Bill No. 08 of 2023) for the Annual General Budget 2023-24, which was introduced and moved for consideration by the Chief Minister, also the Minister-in-Charge of Finance Department, Shri Prem Singh Tamang.
The Sikkim Appropriation Bill, 2023 (Bill No. 08 of 2023) is introduced in pursuance of clause (1) of Article 204 of the Constitution of India to provide for the appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Sikkim of the money required to meet the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State of Sikkim and Grants made by the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for the expenditure of the Government of Sikkim for the Financial year, 2023-24.
The Chief Minister, also the Minister-in-Charge of the Finance Department, also presented reports, namely,
i) Evaluation Report of Compliance to Provisions of the Sikkim FRBM Act: Fiscal Year 2020-21
ii) Medium-Term Fiscal Plan for Sikkim 2023-24 to 2025-26
iii) Annual Consolidated Audit Report on the Accounts of Panchayati Raj Institutions & Municipalities for the Financial Year 2021-22
Subsequently, Chairman Public Accounts Committee, Shri Aditya Golay, presented the following Reports of the Public Accounts Committee:
i) 130th Report on Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ended 31st March 2015
ii) 131st Report on Separate Audit Report on the Accounts of Sikkim State Legal Services Authority for the year ended 31st March 2015 to 31st March 2018
Likewise, Speaker Shri Arun K. Upreti presented the following Annual Reports of the Government Departments in the House:
i) Annual Progress Report of Ecclesiastical Department for the year 2021-22 and 2022-23
ii) Annual Report of Rural Development Department for the year 2021-22
iii) Annual Report of the Printing and Stationary Department for the year 2021-22
iv) Annual Progress Report of Agriculture Department for the year 2021-22
In his valedictory remarks, Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang extended gratitude to Governor Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya for his valuable address on the first day of the Budget Session and Speaker Shri Arun K. Upreti for conducting a successful budget session for the financial year 2023-24.
He gave a brief summary of the four-day budget session and shared delight over the passing of the State annual budget, focused on the upliftment of the rural population. He congratulated the Members of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly for passing the two University Bills with the vision of transforming Sikkim into an education hub.
The Chief Minister extended gratitude to all the members for their valuable suggestions and assured that all the suggestions put forth in the House would be taken into consideration. He also thanked the Deputy Speaker, Chief Secretary, DGP, ACSs, Secretaries, press and media fraternity and all other personnel involved in the smooth conduct of the Budget session 2023-24.
Speaker, SLA, Shri Arun K. Upreti, expressed satisfaction over the smooth conduct of the four-daylong Budget Session 2023-24 and took the opportunity to thank the Governor for his valuable budget address and the Chief Minister for introducing the State Annual Budget 2023-24 that is well aligned with the hopes and aspirations of the people of Sikkim.
He also extended gratitude to all the members of the House for their active participation and positive deliberations throughout the session while respectfully abiding by the Assembly protocol.
The valedictory remarks also had the participation of MLAs, Shri D.R. Thapa, Shri Em Prasad Sharma, Smt. Farwanti Tamang, Smt. Rajkumari Thapa, Shri L.N. Sharma, and Shri K.S. Lepcha.
The House was adjourned sine die.
SLA passes the General Budget for the financial year 2023-24
