The Government has continued with its endeavour to stress on marginalised sections of the society which reflected through its annual Budget presented in the State Assembly on Tuesday for the year 2018-19.
Major pie of the cake out of the provision of Rs 80,200 crore made for the upcoming financial year has been set aside for the sectors concerning skilled jobs in rural and backward districts, farm output and income besides, self-employment generation, especially for women.
Sectors, including education, rural development, road construction, energy and agriculture remained the biggest beneficiaries of the Budget this year. Education has got about 13.94 per cent of the total outlay whereas rural development and panchayats have been given 14.68 per cent; i.e 13.18 per cent over and above the current fiscal year.
The Budget has clearly identified five areas which remained the main talking point of the entire document. It aimed to double income of the people and families residing in rural areas, generate more opportunities for employment and self-employment, development of SC/ST and deprived sections, women empowerment and inclusive development of backward districts and blocks.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das, while presenting the Budget reiterated that the Government had made provisions for separate ‘agriculture budget’ of Rs 5,807.64 crore, ‘gender budget’ of Rs 8,194.51 crore along with ‘budget for SC, ST area development’ by making provision of Rs 4,6503 crore. Entire allocation for various developmental schemes is Rs 46,503 crore with a jump of Rs 2,000 crore.
“24 per cent poor and marginalised sections living in the State are the fifth pillar of the democracy here. This is the section that contributes the most in making or breaking of any Government. We have vowed to eradicate poverty from Jharkhand by 2022 and for that brining rural Jharkhand into the mainstream is the most important step. We have tried to do that only through this Budget,” said the CM in a press conference organised soon after his speech in the House.
The CM, at the same time, also expressed satisfaction over financial health of the State that has managed to keep fiscal deficit — estimated to remain Rs 7,494 crore — 2.43 per cent of the GSDP against the ceiling of 3.25 per cent set under the FRBM Act. However, the outcome is up from the previous figure 2.29 per cent. At the same time, the Budget projected total Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the tune of Rs 3,08,785.25 crore, assuming 10.50 per cent growth over the advance estimate of FY 2017-18 which remained at Rs 27,9451.66 crore.
Moreover, there are some worrying factors also for the Government in the form of decline in the State’s own tax revenue estimates from Rs 19,900 crore to Rs 19,250 during 2018-19 and also the non-tax revenue from Rs 24,672 crore to Rs 22,880 crore. Similarly, establishment expenditure has risen from Rs 31,169 crore to Rs 33,697 crore.