Raman presents Rs 339 Cr deficit budget in Chhattisgarh Assembly

     Raipur, February 26, 2011: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh today presented an Rs 30725.96 crore annual budget for the fiscal 2011-12 in the state assembly.

     Among other things the budget reflected that 55 per cent of the total revenue was from the state resources, which is unlikely for many states, Singh told reporters after the budget.

     The total revenue receipt for next fiscal was estimated at Rs 30386.22 crore and the total outlay of expenditure was Rs 30,725.96 crore, with a deficit of Rs 339.74 crore, as the Finance Minister of the state, Singh told the state assembly.

     Taking into account the deficit for the financial year 2010-11 of about Rs 612 crore the total budgetary deficit would reach Rs 951.74 crore, he said.

     The gross fiscal deficit has been estimated as Rs 3,819.79 crore, Singh said.

     No new tax had been proposed in the budget and in certain cases it had been rationalised.

     About 46 per cent of the budget allocation had been earmarked for the development of the social sector, including 19 per cent for education, 4.5 for health, 4.6 for SC, ST Welfare, 1.6 per cent for women and child development and 1.5 per cent for drinking water.

      On the capital sector, the allocation was 34 per cent, including 12.24 per cent for agriculture sector, six per cent for PWD, seven per cent for irrigation, and 5.6 per cent for rural development, he said.

     Among the major highlights of the budget was the state government today announced to remove the Commercial tax check gates of the state for one year.

     For a barrier free trade and to end the inspector raj in the state, there was demand for removal of all commercial check gates from the state and it would be implemented initially for one year, the Chief Minister said.

     It had also been proposed to strike off Professional tax from next fiscal.

     He also announced to close down the country and foreign liquor shops, which are located in villages having less than 2000 population and about 250 such shops would be closed in the next fiscal.

     The per capita income is expected to be Rs 44,097 in the state for 2010-11, which was Rs 38,059 in 2009-10 or an increase of 15.86 per cent.

     Similarly the per capita loan in Chhattisgarh was Rs 6254, he said.