Uttarakhand Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh on Monday presented the state Budget in the Assembly for 2015-16, with a total expenditure of Rs 32,694 crore. The Budget proposed no new tax.
Presenting the Budget, Hridayesh said a working group will be constituted to study the feasibility of a metro project connecting Dehradun-Rishikesh-Haridwar and Kathgodam-Haldwani-Lalkuan-Rudrapur.
Total revenue receipts are estimated to be Rs 25,778 crore. Total tax revenue receipts in 2015-16 are estimated to be Rs 14,990 crore as against the previous Budgetary estimates of Rs 12,157 crore, showing an increase of 23.20 per cent. Significantly, Chief Minister Harish Rawat had been giving special emphasis on increasing tax revenue since he assumed the reigns of the state in February last year.
Total non-tax revenue receipts in 2015-16 are estimated to be Rs 10,788 crore, against Rs 12,317.20 crore last year.
Total receipts in 2015-16 are estimated to be Rs 32,310 crore, against Rs 29,825 crore in the previous financial year.
Total non-Plan expenditure in 2015-16 is estimated to be Rs 21,059 crore, 64.41 per cent of the total expenditure. This shows an increase of 12.76 per cent against the Budgetary estimated of Rs 18,677 crore in 2014-15. Total Plan expenditure is estimated to be Rs 11,634 crore.
Budget estimates show a revenue surplus in conformity with the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act targets. Fiscal deficit has been estimated to the tune of Rs 4102 crore, 2.63 per cent of the gross state domestic product.
Among the various social schemes that had been announced in the Budget is the creation of a corpus fund for villages having population of more than 500 in hill districts and 5,000 in the plains for construction/reconstruction of drains, roads, water supply. Children disabled by birth will be given Rs 500 a month till the age of 18.
A fund of Rs 10 crore will be created for the statehood activists.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
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Total revenue receipts are estimated to be Rs 25,778 crore
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Total tax revenue receipts in 2015-16 have been raised to Rs 14,990 crore
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Total non-tax revenue receipts are estimated to be Rs 10,788 crore
