Mizo govt estimates state plan outlay

Mizoram government has estimated the state plan outlay for the current fiscal at Rs 3,057 crore although there was no discussion with the Centre since NITI Aayog came into existence.
As state Finance Minister Lalsawta planning to present the regular state budget in the legislature on October nine, the state Planning Board officials said that the plan outlay was proposed after estimates made by the finance department on the fund allocation by the Centre for the current financial year.
The state finance department expected to receive Rs 1,873.70 crore from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) and North Eastern Council (NEC) combine, while it also expected to avail loan amounting to Rs 312.06 crore from institutions like National Bank for Agricluture and Rural development (NABARD), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and Externally Aided projects (EAP).

Sectoral allocations of the proposed Plan fund was already prepared by the state Planning Board by allocating the plan outlay to 12 sectors, they said.
Lalsawta was forced to seek vote-on-accounts for two times - for four months (April to July) during the Assembly session during March and another three months (August to October) during the monsoon session in July as the Centre has not announced the plan allocation to the state.
Finance department officials said that the finance minister's inability to present the full budget for the past seven months was due to absence of clarity in the functions of the NITI Aiyog, which replaced the Planning Commission and also sharing pattern of funds between the Centre and the states for centrally sponsored schemes.