Days ahead of the annual budget scheduled to be presented on March 18, the state government, on Monday, tabled supplementary demands of Rs11,104 crore. It is about 5% of the budget size of the current fiscal. The supplementary demands has the allocation of Rs8 crore spent on advertisements on the launch of infrastructure projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December and Rs1.44 crore on laptops for legislators among other provsions.
The total demands placed through the supplementaries in 2016-17 crossed Rs33,000 crore {Rs 13,000 crore in July and Rs 9,489 crore in December 2016}. The state government will present its annual budget — which is expected to be above Rs 2.30 lakh crore — on March 18. Boosted by the impressive victory in the municipal corporation and district council elections, the BJP-led state government is unlikely to introduce any popular schemes in the budget. It has, however, the task of wading through a debt of over Rs3.50 lakh crore. Though the revenue receipts have not overall been affected — despite the demonetisation drive by the central government — there has been a decline in the revenue from excise and stamp duty.
The supplementary demands tabled on Monday had the allocation of Rs 755 crore for payment of interest on the market borrowings. The finance department has stated that the additional provision was made as the budgetary allocation found to be insufficient. The supplementary has the allocation of Rs17.31 crore for the ex-gratia to be paid to the family members of the farmers who committed suicides. The additional provision had to be made for compensations in the wake of rise in the number of suicides. In 2016, more than 3,063 farmers had killed themselves.
{{/usCountry}}The supplementary demands tabled on Monday had the allocation of Rs 755 crore for payment of interest on the market borrowings. The finance department has stated that the additional provision was made as the budgetary allocation found to be insufficient. The supplementary has the allocation of Rs17.31 crore for the ex-gratia to be paid to the family members of the farmers who committed suicides. The additional provision had to be made for compensations in the wake of rise in the number of suicides. In 2016, more than 3,063 farmers had killed themselves.
{{/usCountry}}The government has also made the provision of R 200 crore to provide the interest subsidies to district central banks and the primary agricultural credit societies. The subsidies on the interests are to be passed on by the institutions on the crops loans to the farmers. The state government has also decided to provide laptops to 88 members of the legislative council by spending Rs1.44 crore, which has been allocated in the demands.
Similarly, the BJP-led government has ran advertisement campaign during the inauguration of the infrastructure projects including lines of Metro rail, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Railway projects and the Shivaji Memorial in December last year. The projects were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 24 in Mumbai. The advertisement cost the government Rs8 crore, which has the allocation in the demands.
The supplementary demands are expected to be passed this week after the department-wise debate.
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