Bhubaneswar, March 2: Experts raise concern over the issue of decline of states’ own revenue share in the state budget in the last few years in a discussion organised by CYSD to analyse the annual budget of Odisha 2017-18. Due of this, the state’s dependence on central funding desks has exploded. As a reason of the declining state’s revenue collection, communicable resource works in the state has been badly affected, claims the participants.
While centre’s share in the state budget for the fiscal 2017-18 has gone up to 49%, state’s own share has abaited to 33%.
However, as per the economic survey report, while the state’s annual growth rate in the fiscal 2015-16 was 6.1, the growth rate has closed down to 8% in the 2016-17 fiscal. But though, there is a 2% improvement in the growth rate, it has yet not been reflected in the annual tax collected, so it itself contradicts the data.
In an analysis, the project coordinator of Odisha Budget Accountability Center (an initiative by CYSD), Basant Panda said that, the state’s budget in the social sector has been announced at 36.64%, while according to an economic survey, a higher amount was requested for this, for the development of the state.
Under education, the govt has approved Rs 18,546.50 crore, which is about Rs 3,227 crores higher than the 2016-17 budget. But yet no importance has been given on the issue of human resources of the sector.
In the development of rural sanition and drinking water, though an amount of Rs 2345 crore has been alloted, it is much away from the goal of Swachh Bharat.
The state budget has given much priority for the development in irrigation sector of the state, while Rs 9120 crore has been allocated towards this. But the experts have pointed out and expressed doubts, wheather the state can reach the target by 2019.
Noted Social worker Jagadananda and Subrat Das, Director, Centre for Budget and Accountability, New Delhi were present.
The discussion was chaired by former Finance Minister Panchanan Kanungo and joining as experts Economist Prof. Bhagabat Patra, Senior Journalists Rajaram Satpathy, Dillip Satpathy and Tapan Mishra focused on the various issues of the state budget along with, it’s imact on the common people.
(Source: CYSD)
