In Meghalaya, citizens are grappling with conflicting statements regarding the state's fiscal health, leading to widespread public confusion. A recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for 2023 has indicated poor financial health, which has raised concerns among the populace. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has sought to clarify these discrepancies, citing a significant Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth of 15.6% [34baf280].
The CAG's report was based on data available until June 2024, which has been a point of contention as it reported lower GSDP figures than those recently updated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). According to MoSPI, Meghalaya's GSDP was revised to Rs. 40,222 crore for the fiscal year 2021-22 and Rs. 46,551 crore for 2022-23 [34baf280]. This discrepancy has led to confusion among the public, who struggle to make sense of the statistics amidst a lack of transparency from the office of the Accountant General (AG).
In addition to the GSDP concerns, the state finance department has reported a 5% increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection for the period of April to August 2024. However, the conflicting narratives surrounding the state's fiscal health continue to create uncertainty among citizens [34baf280].