The budget for 2017-18 would give a new direction to the State’s economy and socio-economic conditions of people as it has the potential to set-off reverse migration of people, who have been migrating to urban areas in and outside the State for better livelihood, Finance Minister Etala Rajender said after presenting the budget to the Assembly on Monday.
“Welfare does not only mean giving social security pensions, subsidised rice and schemes like Kalyana Lakshmi to people but identifying and recognising skills of different sections and helping them improve their income-generating activities,” a beaming Finance Minister said after making first-ever allocations to sections with community-based vocations.
He explained that allocations such as ₹4,000 crore for sheep-rearers, ₹1,200 crore to weavers, ₹1,000 crore each to fishermen and most backward classes, ₹450 crore to washermen and barbers and ₹200 crore to five artisan communities including carpenters, potters and blacksmiths would go a long way in improving the lives of members of those communities.
Expenditure to increase
When asked how the government was planning to spend ₹23,676 crore on irrigation during 2017-18 when only about ₹15,000 crore could be spent out of ₹25,000 crore allocated this year (2016-17), the Finance Minister said some forces inimical to development were trying to create hurdles in irrigation projects but the government was committed overcome such “speed-breakers”.
“The final expenditure on irrigation during 2016-17 could be over ₹16,000 crore and there won’t be much difficulty in spending the allocation during 2017-18 once execution of the projects gain momentum,” he stated.
Within statutory limits
On being asked about increasing borrowings and debt, the Finance Minister said the State government was borrowing well within statutory limits as “we need to match the expectations of people in the new State.” He emphasised that growth rate of tax revenue in 2016-17 was 16.5% in spite of adverse impact of demonetisation on motor vehicle tax and stamps and registration duty as the loss was made up by some other heads.
Mr. Rajender further explained that ₹1,500 crore provision was made in the budget to meet salaries of 50,000 jobs to be given/filled during 2017-18. On spending funds on SC/ST Sub-Plans he noted that reports would be submitted to Assembly/Council every three months from now on.
