No new taxes for Uttarakhand

Khanduri presents state's first revenue surplus budget.

Reversing the usual trend, Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri today presented a revenue surplus budget for 2007-08 with no new taxes.

In his budget speech in the state Assembly, Khanduri, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the budget showed a revenue surplus of Rs 943.91 crore.

"This is the first time since the creation of Uttarakhand that a revenue surplus budget has been presented," Khanduri said. Last year the revenue deficit was Rs 155 crore.

To follow the fiscal correction path laid down in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, the government has to bring down its fiscal deficit below 4.54 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP). Accordingly, Khanduri said the fiscal deficit estimated in budget 2007-08 is Rs 1,460.21 crore, which is 4.47 per cent of the GSDP.

The total receipts in the budget are estimated at Rs 10,868.60 crore while the total expenditure estimated is Rs 11,128.23 crore. Total revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 9,016.49 crore while the total revenue expenditure estimated is Rs 8,072.58 crore.

The non-Plan expenditure has been estimated at Rs 6,340.15 crore and plan expenditure at Rs 4,788.08 crore.

Khanduri said the interest payments for 2007-08 has been estimated at Rs 1,150.42 crore while the loan payment estimated is Rs 495.16 crore. "Our efforts will be such that the state no longer sinks into a debt trap without compromising on the pace of development," Khanduri said.

As a step towards women empowerment, for the first time, a gender budget has been introduced by the state government, Khanduri claimed.

In this regard, a Gaura Devi Kanya Dhan Yojna has been launched to encourage higher education among girls belonging to families living below the poverty line and a budget provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for this.

A special provision of Rs 8 crore has been made to facilitate cooking gas connections on a priority basis for poor women living in remote hill areas.

For patients and their attendants from Uttarakhand requiring medical treatment at New Delhi, transit guest house facility will be provided.

To encourage the ayurvedic system of medicines in Uttarakhand, an Ayush Gram will be created in all the 13 districts of the state.

To boost tourism, ropeways will be set up through public-private partnerships in Kedarnath and other tourist centres where there are no roads.