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A surplus Budget for Haryana

Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

Fourth budget: Haryana Finance Minister Birendra Singh presenting the budget in the State Assembly in Chandigarh on Tuesday as Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others look on.

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Finance Minister Birender Singh presented a surplus Budget for 2008-2009 in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.

Presenting his fourth consecutive Budget, Mr. Singh said that the year 2008-09 was likely to open with a surplus of Rs.3.8 crore and close with a surplus of Rs.7.01 crore with year’s account surplus pegged at Rs.3.21 crore.

He also announced new initiatives of the State Government benefiting all sections of society. While proposing abolition of Value Added Tax (VAT) on sanitary napkins, diapers and select toys, besides reduction in VAT on energy-efficient tube-light chokes, he suggested that moneylenders and ‘arahtiyas’ (commission agents) should be brought under the ambit of administrative and financial control of the Union Government.

He also announced a reduction in the stamp duty by one per cent across the board and continuing the concession to women.

Mr. Singh said the Annual Plan for the next fiscal had been fixed at Rs.6,650 crore. Stating that for the first time there would be gender budgeting, he said the Government had earmarked 21.55 per cent of the Plan funds for welfare and development of weaker sections of society under the Special Component Sub Plan (SCSP).

He said the Union Government had been requested to open a medical college in the State with post-graduate facilities in Faridabad with funding by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation. He also announced plans to set up a second Sainik School in Rewari district and a health university at PGIMS, Rohtak. Computer education would be started in 25 large colleges of the State, he added.

He said work on extension of a metro link from Delhi to Gurgaon via Mehrauli was in full swing and would be completed by January, 2010. The Board of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had approved the extension of the Delhi Metro network up to Faridabad.

Mr. Singh said urban local bodies would be authorised to auction advertisement rights in their local jurisdiction and levy user charges on cable operators using electric poles. They would also be authorised to levy surcharge on cable operators for displaying commercial advertisements on the cable network.

He said that the growth in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at constant prices was expected to be 11.4 per cent in 2006-07 against the national growth of 9.6 per cent.

Mr. Singh said Haryana had been transformed into a revenue surplus State from a revenue deficit State up to 2004-05. Announcing a bonanza of incentives for State Government employees, which included a provision of Rs.1,550 crore towards payment of increase in salary and pension of employees on the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission, Mr. Singh proposed revising the loan for house construction from Rs.7 lakh to 12.5 lakh and for house repair and extension to Rs.2 lakh and Rs.2.5 lakh respectively. The car loan limit would be further revised to Rs.6 lakh.

He disclosed that Haryana, with better financial management, was likely to get the benefit of debt write-off scheme of the Union Government throughout 2005-10.

He also proposed a 50 per cent higher unemployment allowance for registered unemployed science graduates and post-graduates. Similarly, all unemployed women registered with employment exchanges in the State would be given 50 per cent higher unemployment allowance than men. Financial assistance would be provided to non-school going disabled children in the age group of six to 18 years suffering from 40 per cent disability, he added.

He said the focus was on promoting sustainable agriculture in the State. The construction of Hansi Butana Branch Multipurpose Link Channel is likely to be completed during the current financial year.

The Minister said the Government had earmarked Rs.3,528.88 crore as Plan and Non-Plan allocation for the power sector including renewable energy for the year 2008-09 as against Rs.3,149.88 crore during 2007-08.

Later, addressing the customary media briefing , Mr Singh disclosed that 47 per cent of the Budget allocation had been made for the social sector and 36.5 per cent for strengthening the infrastructure. A provision of Rs.1,550 crore had also been made to implement the upcoming report of the Sixth Pay Commission in the State.

About the controversy over Congress ticket for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana, he said both candidates belonged to Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, respectively, and the Congress high command had taken a right decision. Replying to a question, he said the Budget had not been prepared keeping in view the ensuing parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Budget would benefit all sections of society and give further impetus to development in the State. In a statement, Mr. Hooda said : “No new tax has been imposed and rather tax concessions have been announced.

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A surplus Budget for Haryana

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