2023-24 nears end, but Maha spends just 52% of budget

State govt spent 51.73% of ₹7.26 lakh crore budgeted allocations. School education, technical education, and agriculture saw highest expenditure. Expected spending at end of 2023-24 around 80%.

With less than four weeks left for the financial year to end, the state has managed to spend only 51.73% of its total budgeted allocations - ₹7.26 lakh crore, data obtained from the government has shown.

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Minorities affairs, environment, and industries are the departments that have spent the lowest with 11.23%, 18.16%, and 21.59% respectively. On the other hand, departments of school education, technical education, and agriculture have seen the highest expenditure with 83%, 78%, and 77% respectively.

Going by this speed, the spending at the end of 2023-24 is expected to remain around 80%.

“In the financial year 2022-23, the state government could spend around 76% of the budgetary allocations. This year, though the actual spending as per the online records is around 52%, it is expected to be 10% more as the spending on interest and repayment of the loans has not been taken into account,” an official from the finance department said.

The official attributed the drastic drop in the expenditure for 2023-24 to less than the projected revenue receipts. “For instance, the revenue generation by the end of financial year is expected to be ₹4.86 lakh crore. However, as per the trend in the last few years, the deficit is likely to be ₹20,000 crore. Since the administrative and establishment expenditure is mandatory, there is a cut on the development and capital expenditure.”

Rupesh Keer from Samarthan, an NGO that studies the state budget, said, “The budget remains unspent also because of the administrative apathy and lack of proper planning. The Central funding, which is more than ₹70,000 crore, is released on compliance and implementation of projects. But in most cases, the compliances are not done, leading to a reduction in the Central allocation next year. Departments like tribal development and minorities affairs suffer the most as the state neglects them while releasing funds.”

The state government had presented a budget of ₹7.61 lakh crore, including the supplementary budget, for the 2023-24 financial year. With the deficit of more than ₹99,288 crore, the state government has planned to spend ₹7.26 lakh crore.