Revenue-surplus Budget for Bihar, edu gets most

Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, February 12 

Bihar deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, who also holds the Finance portfolio, presented a revenue-surplus Budget of Rs 2,00,501 crore for the fiscal year 2019-20 in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Education got the maximum share in the Budget with Modi allocating Rs 20,309 crore, which is 20.31% of the outlay. Rural development schemes were given the second priority followed by social welfare, road construction, health and energy.

In his Budget speech, Modi said: “The Budget size has increased from Rs 1.76 lakh crore to over Rs 2 lakh crore in the past one year. The Budget for 2019-20 is nine times more than that of 2004-05. The increase pointed out how the state has pitched its development across the state.”

“Bihar has already recorded the highest growth rate of 11.3% of the gross state domestic product this year. The state has not made any new tax provision as neither the Centre nor the state can impose new tax in GST regime”, said the deputy CM.

He also claimed that Bihar has continued the tradition of presenting a revenue surplus Budget since 2008-09. He said: “Bihar’s revenue surplus is Rs 21,516 crore for 2019-20, which is about 3.76% of GSDP even if the total fiscal deficit for the same financial year remained to Rs 16,101 crore which is about 2.81% of GSDP”. Though no new schemes were launched, new allocations were made for the schemes announced in last one year. 

Before the session began, the Opposition chanted anti-government slogans over declining law and order and demanded an increase in consolidated amount being given to cooks working in government schools.

Moneywise

Rs 2.05 lakh cr is the expenditure estimated for 2019-20 

Rs 20,309 cr allocated to education, maximum for any sector

Rs 18,299 cr kept aside for SC and ST welfare

11.3%  gross state domestic product this fiscal, highest in country