Aizawl: Congress legislature party leader Zodintluanga has accused Chief Minister Zoramthanga of using incorrect methods to calculate Mizoram’s debt, aiming to mislead the public. Zodintluanga emphasised that this reflects a lack of respect for the Mizoram public and implies an attempt to deceive them.
In an interaction with media persons on Wednesday, the CLP leader argued that both the world and India have an established system for calculating debt based on the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) percentage. According to data from the Reserve Bank of India, Mizoram’s debt is at 56.7% relative to its GSDP percentage, the highest in the country. The budget estimate indicates a debt of 53.1%, he added.
Zodintluanga clarified that the concern is not against incurring debt for essential developmental projects, and criticised the administration for having the highest debt in the country without substantial progress or development. He alleged that the Chief Minister and his favored ministers received the majority of benefits, while the majority of the population struggled to meet daily needs and pay medical bills.
In response to these allegations of high state debt, Chief Minister Zoramthanga refuted the claims during a campaign event on Tuesday. He stated that Mizoram ranked second-lowest in terms of debt among Indian states. Zoramthanga argued that opposition parties were making unfounded allegations due to a lack of substantial arguments.
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In August of the current year, an analysis of government data revealed that Mizoram’s increasing borrowings had elevated its debt-GDP ratio to 53.1% for FY23, whereas Punjab’s debt-GDP ratio stood at 47.6%.
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