The State has recorded a 49.14-per cent increase in the capital spending during the finance year 2014-15 over the preceding year. The capital spending during these two years stood at Rs11,567 crore and Rs7,756 crore, respectively. This was revealed at a Secretary-level meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary GC Pati at the Secretariat here on Friday. Additional Chief Secretary Finance R Balakrishnan presented the updated expenditure position.
With this expenditure, the capital expenditure and Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) ratio has increased the level record of 3.72 per cent. Appreciating efforts of various departments, the Chief Secretary advised them to make further efforts to boost this ration to 4-5 per cent in coming years. It was also revealed that the State Plan expenditure during 2014-15 has increased to Rs30,345 crore from Rs20,544 crore in 2013-14.
Balakrishnan asked all large spending departments to ensure 60 per cent spending by end of the third quarters of the current fiscal in all Non-plan, Plan, State Plan and Centrally-sponsored schemes. The Chief Secretary asked departments to identify more number of PPP schemes targeting to bring in Rs1,000-crore investment in various sectors during the current year.
Besides, Pati directed the departments to make more number of public services online and link those to Common Service Centres so that people can avail the services by paying nominal fees. Now 89 services have been notified under the Public Service Act and more 522 services have been identified by various departments to be included under it. Pati directed Agriculture department to provide training to at least 20,000 progressive farmers each year and The MSME Department to take initiative to provide training to 50,000 youths under apprenticeship programmes of various industrial houses.