VPP slams Meghalaya govt for disputing CAG report

Shillong: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has criticized the Meghalaya government for questioning the credibility of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, which highlighted the state's fiscal deficit and outstanding debts.

VPP president Ardent M Basaiawmoit accused the government of attempting to cover up the true state of the economy, saying that the CAG is a constitutional authority with the mandate to examine financial matters.

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Basaiawmoit took issue with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma's claims that Meghalaya's economy is growing rapidly and will reach a USD 10 billion economy by 2028, calling it an attempt to downplay the severity of the state's fiscal situation.

The VPP leader further stated that the government should not reject or challenge the CAG's observations, which are based on a detailed study of the state's budget implementation and financial management.

Last week, the state’s Finance Department stated that GST collections have increased from Rs 1,118 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 1,723 crore in 2023-24, representing a significant growth rate of 35.87 per cent, 32.12 per cent and 16.66 per cent over the past three years.

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The department attributed the reported dip in GST collections to a single month’s data and emphasized that overall collections, including State GST, Integrated GST, and Central GST, demonstrate a consistent upward trend.