By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar March 18, 2016 : Odisha Finance Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat on Friday presented a Rs.94,052.65 crore budget for 2016-¬17 with focus on agriculture, infrastructure and social sectors.

Amat also presented a separate agriculture budget of Rs.13,181.89 crore.

The budget allocation is up by 11.32 percent against last year’s Rs.84,487.77 crore. The total non¬-plan expenditure is estimated at Rs.48,096.49 crore while annual plan for the financial year will be Rs.50,000 crore. The fiscal deficit is projected at Rs 14,532.40 crore, the minister said.

Similarly, the allocation under central plan and centrally sponsored schemes include Rs.311.33 crore and Rs.44.83 crore respectively. The plan outlay includes Rs.45,600 crore for the government sector and Rs.4,400 crore for the public sector undertakings while non-¬plan expenditure includes Rs.18,800 crore for salaries, Rs.9,500 crore for pensions and Rs.4,650 crore for interest payments, the finance minister told the House.

Amat claimed that the budget enhanced grants for capital outlay to Rs.16,749 crore, which is 4.37 per cent of the gross state domestic product. The total outlay for general education is pegged at Rs.13,396.35 crore, or 13.61 percent of the total, while outlay for agriculture and allied sectors is pegged at Rs.13,181.89 crore, or 14.02 percent.

The budget expenditure will be financed through estimated revenue receipts of Rs.78, 126.72 crore, recovery of loans of Rs.185.15 crore and borrowing and other receipts of Rs. 15,740.78 crore.

Total revenue receipts for the year 2016-¬17 include state’s share in central taxes at Rs.26, 567.56 crore, state’s own tax of Rs.23,200 crore, own non¬tax revenue of Rs.9,822.93 crore and grants from centre of Rs.18,536.23 crore.

Stating that the budgeted expenditure would be financed through estimated revenue receipts, recovery of loans, borrowing and other receipts, Amat said revenue surplus would be Rs 3,683.33 crore

The debt stock for financial year is estimated at Rs 64,991.83 crore which is 16.96 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

While Rs.33,823.10 crore has been proposed for social sector development, Rs.615 crore for timely completion of five medical colleges at Puri, Balasore, Baripada, Balangir and Koraput, said the finance minister.

Besides, budget provisions are also made for setting up of de¬-addiction centres at the state-¬run medical colleges at Cuttack, Berhampur, Burla, Capital Hospital in the city, RGH, Rourkela and four other district headquarter hospitals in the coming fiscal.

The budget also announced to transfer around Rs.2,800 crore to panchayati raj institutions in 2016¬17. The budget also made an outlay of Rs.1,688.26 crore under Indira Awas Yojana and Rs.700 crore under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana for construction of around 2.64 lakh houses in the coming fiscal.

The state government also proposed a new scheme ‘Biju Kanya Ratna’ to ensure overall development of girls and check female foeticide in three districts ¬ Ganjam, Dhenkanal and Angul. Rs.2 crore has been earmarked for the project.

Aiming to attract more tourists to the holy city Puri, the state government announced construction of Jagannath Enclave with a provision of Rs.5 crore. Shelters for Habisiali (women devotees) at Puri will also be constructed.

With Bhubaneswar topping the smart city list across the country, the budget proposed Rs Rs. 333.33 crore under smart city mission for its development.