Finance Minister Etela Rajender on Wednesday presented a Rs 1,00,637.96 crore budget for Telangana for 10 months of the financial year 2014-15.
The non-plan expenditure is estimated at Rs 51,989.49 crores, and the plan expenditure at Rs 48,648.47 Cr. The estimated revenue surplus is Rs 301.02 Cr. The marginal revenue surplus is entirely on account of additional revenue mobilization proposed in the budget. The fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 17,398.72 crores.
As a percentage of GSDP, the estimated fiscal deficit is 4.79%.
"Normally the budget is more about numbers, but this budget is more about our people and their well-being. It has been formulated with an objective of delivering a sustainable future for our children and generations beyond. The new State of Telangana has strengthened the faith of the people in their own future, and the faith of every citizen in Telangana. The long journey to the realization of Bangaru Telangana has just started, and with the active participation of the people, there will be no looking back till we reach our destination, which will be sooner than later," Etela said while presenting his maiden budget and the first budget of the new State.
The Finance Minister informed that Rs 100 crores had been earmarked to extend financial support to the families of the martyrs. He said that Rs 10 lakhs to each of the 459 families of the martyrs had been released.
"This budget, which will telescope into the next four budgets, has been formulated under the direction and leadership of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, ensuring that the benefit of government expenditure reaches all deserving people, especially the weaker sections, who did not get their due share so far. This is the first time that a new State has attempted to democratize the entire process of budget-making," the Finance Minister said.
Mentioning the Intensive Household Survey done on August 19 this year, the Minister said that the results of the survey would be used to better target welfare programmes.
The Telangana government allocated Rs 2,000 crores for the revival of tanks and irrigation; Rs 6,500 crores for irrigation and command area development; Rs 2,000 crores for water grid and drinking water; Rs 250 crores for horticulture; Rs 7,579.45 crores for the SC Sub-Plan; Rs 4559.81 crores for the ST Sub-Plan; Rs 2,022 crores for BC welfare; Rs 1,030 crores for minorities welfare; Rs 330 crores for Kalyani Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes; Rs 212.86 crores for technical education; Rs 119.63 crores for the IIIT at Basara; Rs 2,282.86 crores for medical & health expenditure; Rs 250 crores for slum development in GHMC; Rs 416.67 crores for the metro rail; Rs 581 crores for water supply in Hyderabad; Rs 4,000 crores to improve the road network; Rs 3,241.90 for energy (non-plan) including Rs 3,000 in power subsidy; and Rs 1,000 crores for weaker sections housing.
The Finance Minister informed that the Constituency Development Fund had been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.50 crore per constituency per annum. Accordingly, an amount of Rs 234 crores had been proposed in this budget. (INN)