Gehlot presents vote-on-account, estimates revenue deficit of Rs913 cr

The state government secured a vote-on-account for the first quarter of the financial year 2009-2010 in the state Assembly on Thursday and proposed a plan expenditure of over Rs17,300 crore.

While the BJP walked out of the House demanding a debate on the vote-on-account, the House passed the interim budget for four months after which the Assembly session was adjourned sine die by speaker Deependra Singh Shekhawat.

Referring to the impact of global economic meltdown on the country, chief minister Ashok Gehlot said there would be a decline in the state’s tax revenue collection as well as in its share from the central taxes during 2009-10. “The state is likely to incur a revenue deficit of Rs913.20 crore in 2009-10,” Gehlot told the Assembly. He also presented the revised estimates of the current fiscal, which shows a deficit of Rs283.02 crore as against the surplus of Rs1,183.14 crore estimated for the 2008-09 budget.

In his vote-on-account speech that lasted just eight eight minutes, Gehlot said the revenue deficit rose due to implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations. The chief minister said that as per the budget estimates for the coming financial year, the revenue receipts would incur an estimated loss of Rs913.20 crore and added the Planning Commission had Revenue deficit rose due to implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s provisions, claims CM

approved the Rs17,300-crore state plan. Gehlot underlined that despite the worldwide financial crisis, the state had still proposed the biggest annual budget plan because his government wanted development of Rajasthan. The budget size would be about Rs48,401 crore in the new financial year, he said. The vote-on-account, two appropriation bills and supplementary demands for the current year 2008-09 were passed in the Assembly by voice vote. “Considering the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the annual budget cannot be debated and passed before March 31, 2009 so we are seeking a vote-on-account for expenditures to be incurred till July 31, 2009,” Gehlot said. The CM said that the Planning Commission approved an increase of 23.5% in the next state plan size. The Planning Commission had fixed the current plan size at Rs14,000 crore, which is expected to be Rs14,924.53 crore according to revised estimates. 

DNA Correspondent/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication