The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Rosaiah to present a record fifth budget today

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Saturday, Feb 16, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Rosaiah to present a record fifth budget today

S. Nagesh Kumar

Total plan and non-plan expenditure to be slightly short of Rs. 1 lakh-crore mark

HYDERABAD: Finance Minister K. Rosaiah will present the State budget for the fifth consecutive year in the Assembly on Saturday.

When he is called upon by Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy to read out his budget speech for 2008-09, the veteran leader will also achieve the unique distinction, and perhaps even a record in the country, of presenting the 13th budget, including vote-on-account, in his long political career during which he has served seven Chief Ministers.

What is being watched in the budget keenly is the extent to which he gives a place to populism considering that general elections are due in 2009. This is apart from the sizeable amount that he has to allocate as subsidy for the Rs. 2- a-kilo rice scheme being revived later this year.

Going by available indications, the total plan and non-plan expenditure for the coming fiscal is likely to be slightly short of the Rs. 1,00,000 crore mark. This is based on growth projections over the total expenditure of Rs. 80,000 crores in 2007-08.

Sources said Mr. Rosaiah will show in the budget a revenue surplus in contrast to the small deficit of Rs. 36.48 crore he indicated in 2007-08. At the same time, he is sure to keep the fiscal deficit within the limits prescribed in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) so that the State continues to receive incentives from the Centre.

The sector that is slated to receive a big boost is medical and health in view of the emphasis that Dr. Reddy is laying on Rajiv Arogyasri, the health insurance scheme for the poor.

Its priority for the health sector is also reflected in the medical colleges in the Government sector (Prakasam, Adilabad and Srikakulam) and the one in public-private partnership mode at Tirupati (SVIMS and Kanchi Peetham) that are in the process of being established.

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