Jharkhand Assembly in Turmoil Over CAG Report and Budget

The Jharkhand Assembly session was disrupted amidst the presentation of the CAG report, which highlighted significant financial discrepancies. Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore presented the report, which outlined overdue revenue collections posing a concern for the state. The report indicated that ₹84.72 crore in revenue remained uncollected as of March 31, 2024, with ₹38.91 crore of that amount outstanding for more than five years. Within the Excise and Prohibition Department, ₹7.72 crore was held up due to legal challenges and appeals. Although revenue receipts increased by 9.57 percent in the fiscal year 2023-24 compared to the prior year, they were still 10.58 percent below budget estimates. Revenue expenditure grew by 14.99 percent, yet remained ₹7,999.58 crore lower than the budgeted amount. During this time, a revenue surplus of ₹11,252.08 crore was generated. The state also received ₹165.63 crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation. The introduction of a supplementary budget by the government led to protests. BJP legislators Satyendra Nath Tiwari and Raj Sinha proposed a cut motion, with Raj Sinha seeking a reduction of ₹10. This motion was dismissed by the Speaker, Rabindra Nath Mahato, who then adjourned the session until 2 pm because of the opposition’s continuing disturbances. Earlier in the session, the proceedings had been disrupted due to the opposition’s protests regarding the encounter involving Surya Hansda, creating a volatile atmosphere in the assembly.