Under fire for burgeoning debt liability which is projected at Rs 141854 crore for the next fiscal 2017-18, Finance Minister, Capt Abhimanyu on Thursday said that Haryana is among the best States of the country having better financial management.
“It has not crossed the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limit of 25 per cent. The Government has taken over the debt of Rs 25,950 crore of power distribution companies and this has resulted in annual savings of Rs 3000 crore to DISCOMS as interest, said the Finance Minister replying to the discussion on budget estimates for the year 2017-18.
On revenue deficit, he said that the State Government has been successful in bringing down the revenue deficit from 1.9 per cent, during the regime of the Congress Government, to 0.94 per cent in the State budget for the year 2017-18 and a target has been fixed to further reduce to it zero per cent by the year 2019.
The House passed the budget estimates 2017-18 however the Congress staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction with the reply of the Finance Minister to their queries.
Earlier, the Finance Minister informed the House that the suggestions received by the government from members of State Assembly and other stakeholders would also be considered while framing the future development policies and programmes.
The budget of over Rs 1 lakh crore presented by the State Government is aimed at the welfare of all sections of the society including farmers, labourers, traders, employees, women and youth,
he said.
While referring to the strong financial health of the present State Government, the Finance Minister said that various statements were being issued by the opposition parties on the financial health of the Government stating that the fiscal and revenue deficit have increased. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the State which was 5.7 per cent in the year 2014-15 has first increased to 8.7 per cent last year and GDP of nine per cent is projected for the year 2017-18, said he. Capt. Abhimanyu claimed that the present Government has brought fiscal deficit in the range of 2.61 per cent.
Stating that the financial system has been strengthened as a result of demonetisation, the Finance Minister claimed that VAT collection has increased by 16.7 per cent as compared to the collection made in November last year.
He said that the budget of agriculture and allied sector for the year 2017-18 has been increased to 31.13 per cent from 29.98 per cent in 2016-17. Similarly, the outlay of rural development sector has been increased to 4.85 per cent in 2017-18 from 3.50 per cent in 2016-17, he added.
ClP leader flays budget estimates 2017-18
Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party, described the budget for 2017-18 as a budget of broken promises, shattered hopes, and one that lacks vision and makes Haryana scale the Rs 141-lakh-crore mound of debt.
An opportunity wasted, the Budget is a big let-down for the people of the State in general, and farmers in particular, she said while participating in the discussion on the budget estimates.
“Since the budget offered no hope to the man in the street and does little to give the sagging economy a push, it will breed discontent among the people. It has been more than two years of agony for the farmers, infamy for working class and double whammy for those who voted for the BJP with great hopes and expectations. For, not a single promise has been honoured,” she added.
Referring to the SYl, Choudhry said the State Government made the Governor pat its back but has offered no action plan to ensure that the rightful and legitimate share in the Ravi-Beas waters will reach the parched fields of Southern Haryana.
Haryana CM says his announcements will be executed this year
Responding to the opposition allegations, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal on Thursday said that almost all the announcements made by him for development works in all the 90 assembly constituencies in the State would be completed during this year.
The Chief Minister, while speaking during ongoing budget session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, said that the present Government has completed its two years in the State. While 40 per cent of the announcements were made in the first year, 60 per cent were made in the second year. Out of the total announcements made in first year, almost all of them have been completed, he said.
Manohar lal added that out of the total announcements, about 38 per cent have already been completed and remaining 62 per cent would be completed in the third year, which is the implementation year.
Haryana Academy of Adventure Sports to come up in Morni
Haryana Tourism Minister, Ram Bilas Sharma informed the House that Haryana Academy of Adventure Sports would be established in Morni, and a society has been constituted for this purpose.
The Minister, while replying to a question said that suitability of locations for the proposed adventure activities such as camping and trekking in Morni area was being assessed.
He said that the Morni hills have already been developed as a tourist spot. The Haryana Tourism Corporation is maintaining tourist complex ‘Mountain Quail’ and another tourist complex at Tikkar Taal. These have several facilities for tourists, said Sharma.
Gau Samwardhan Kendra’ to be set up in State
Haryana Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister, OP Dhankar informed the State Assembly that the Government would establish a ‘Gau Samwardhan Kendra’ for protection and conservation of indigenous cows at village Ruddol in Badhara Assembly Constituency after provision of land.
Apart from this, ‘Gau Abhyaranas’ would be established over 50 acre each in village Dhandoor in Hisar Municipal Corporation and village Nain in district Panipat, he said while replying to a question.