Congress MLAs express concern over declining capital expenditure
Speaking during the general discussion on budget, Congress MLA from Rohtak BB Batra said that the proposed capital outlay in 2025-26 estimates was ₹16,164.11 crore which is a mere 8% of the total outlay of ₹2.05 lakh crore
The opposition Congress on Tuesday expressed concern over the decline in the capital outlay in the 2025-26 budget estimates tabled by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in Haryana assembly on March 17.
Speaking during the general discussion on budget, Congress MLA from Rohtak BB Batra said that the proposed capital outlay in 2025-26 estimates was ₹16,164.11 crore which is a mere 8% of the total outlay of ₹2.05 lakh crore. In the 2024-25 financial year also the state government could not spend the outlay earmarked for capital expenditure, Batra said.
As per the budget documents, the proposed capital expenditure saw a dip in 2025-26 budget estimates at ₹16,164.11 crore as compared to capital outlay of ₹16,280.94 crore in the 2024-25 estimates. The state government was able to actually spend ₹12,752.52 crore on asset creation in 2024-25. Capital expenditure is the money spent by the government on creation of long-term assets like infrastructure projects, roads, bridges, educational institutions, health care facilities, and for undertaking development works. The capital expenditure helps boost and sustain economic growth.
The Congress MLA said that as compared to other states, Haryana’s capital outlay was very low. “The capital outlay of Gujarat is ₹71,000 crore. Jharkhand a smaller state has a capital outlay of ₹21,248 crore, Rajasthan’s capital outlay is ₹38,000 crore and Telangana’s capital outlay was ₹37,525 crore, much higher than Haryana’s,” Batra said.
Urging the state government to increase its capital expenditure, the Congress MLA said that the state government should try to get a special financial package from the central government. “The government should use its proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with former chief minister ML Khattar now a union minister, getting a financial package should not be a problem for Haryana government,” Batra said.
He also expressed concern over the mounting debt liability stating that the revenue deficit should not be compensated from borrowings.
Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda pointed out that the 13% increase mentioned by the chief minister in the budget outlay for 2025-26 was not correct.
Hooda said that the proposed budget outlay of ₹2,05,017.29 crore should be compared with 2024-25 budget estimate of ₹1,89,876.61 crore which would work out to be an increase of about 7%-8%.
Saini had on Monday told the House during his budget address that the proposed total budget of ₹2,05,017.29 crore for 2025-26 financial year reflected a 13.7% increase over the revised estimates of Rs. 1,80,313.57 crore for 2024-25 fiscal.
Speaking on the budget, Congress MLA from Thanesar Ashok Arora said that people of the state were expecting to get some relief from inflation. “There was a time when rates of diesel and petrol were much lower in Haryana as compared to Punjab and Chandigarh. But things are quite the opposite now. People were hopeful that value added tax (VAT) will get lowered and they will get some relief. But they are disappointed,’’ Arora.
