The Government of Rajasthan has improved the financial position and fully complied with the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FBRM) Act and its fiscal deficit has been less than 5 per cent as compared to 6.09 per cent in 2016-17 (during previous BJP government).
Replying to a debate on the Rajasthan Appropriation Bill-2022 in the state assembly here, Dr B D Kalla, the Education Minister and Minister-Incharge said that the government’s on-tax revenue has increased by 28 percent, while the non-tax revenue has increased by 23 percent.
Due to better financial management of the state government, revenue receipts of Rs 90 thousand 11 crore were received in August, 2021, which has reached 1 lakh 30 thousand 777 crore in August this year, Kalla defended the Opposition BJP charges of declining revenue after two hours of debate yesterday.
Kalla told the House that the government has taken demands for supplementary grants for the implementation of RGSS, ERCP, Nehru Youth Hostel (Delhi), Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, Jaipur Metro, UDAN etc. He said that the aim of the government is to create capital assets and make good use of money.
While tabling the Bill in the House, Minister Incharge said that this Bill has been brought to authorize the payment and appropriation of certain further sums from the Consolidated Fund of the State for the services of the financial year 2022-23. With the passage of the bill, an amount of Rs 4 thousand 402 crore 12 lakh 18 thousand can be paid and applied, he added.
Earlier, the assembly also passed the demand for supplementary grants for the year 2022-23 (first compilation). The Minister-in-Charge Shri Kalla presented the demands, which were passed by voice vote.
Taking part in the debate, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore warned that Rajasthan was heading towards a ‘financial emergency”. Quoting an RBI report for June 2022, Rathore said, “Five states including Rajasthan are facing huge debt burden towards bankruptcy”.
The total debt of the state has crossed Rs.5.3 lakh crore, Rathore underlined.