Leader of Opposition (LoP) TR Zeliang has urged NLA speaker Vikho-o Yhoshü to direct chief minister Neiphiu Rio to reconcile the accurate fiscal deficit figure at the earliest and bring it to the notice of all legislators and people of the State in order to clear the cloud on the issue and maintain accountability and transparency.
In a letter to the speaker, Zeliang referred to budget discussion of March 26 on point of order where he asked Rio to furnish the correct reconciled fiscal deficit figure as on March 31, 2014.
Stating that it was most unfortunate the budget for 2018-19 was passed without furnishing fiscal deficit figure and clarification, LoP claimed that the deficit figure mentioned in Governor’s address was only a projected amount and not a confirmed figure of 2013-14 from RBI. The letter added that the speaker’s observation on the contradictory statement given by leader of the House on the subject had only created confusion in the minds of members of both the treasury and opposition benches.