Raman Presents Deficit Budget, Hopeful of Positive Result

     Raipur, February 22, 2010: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh today presented a deficit budget of Rs 549.18 Crore for the financial year 2010-2011 and said he was hopeful of a very positive result on over all development of the state in the coming years.

     The total expenditure for the next fiscal would be Rs 24,685.43 Crore where as the total receipts would be Rs 24,136.25, a deficit of Rs 549.18 crore, Singh, who holds the Finance Portfolio, told the state assembly today.

    Presenting his fourth budget and second after returning to power for another five years term, the Chief Minister said taking the estimated deficit of the fiscal 2009-2010 of Rs 482.37 Crore, the total budgetary deficit is expected to be Rs 1031.55 Crore.

    Similarly the Gross Fiscal Deficit would be Rs 3180.03 Crore.

     However, Singh said the state had achieved over all development in the last couple of years due to better financial management and the new budget would open more avenues for all sections of the society.

    The main focus of the budget was on Education, Health, Food Security and Drinking Water, he said adding in the Budget for next fiscal the allocation for education had been increased to 17 per cent or Rs 3,922.52 Crore.

     Although the Chief Minister was silent about the alleged corruption in purchase of medicines in Health Department, but said his Government was committed to transparency and because of that a Medical Service Corporation (Chikitsa Seva Nigam) would be constituted.

     Similarly the state was committed to the development of women and children of the state and increasing the allotment for Women and Child Welfare Department by 31 per cent from the previous year, a total of Rs 826 Crore had been provisioned for the next fiscal, he said.

     A provision of Rs 2 crore had been made for providing houses on concessional rate to the families affected by naxal violence in the state.

     Rs 144 Crore is allotted for construction of bridges, roads in the state where as Rs 50 crore has also been earmarked for strengthening of rural roads under PMGSY in the state.

     About 35 lakh families are covered under the Chief Minister food Security programme and to check irregularities in that, the state government had decided to issue ration card with the photograph of the beneficiary, for which Rs 1.5 crore had been made available.