Thaindian News

Shimla, March 9 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Wednesday presented the budget estimates for 2011-12 with a proposed outlay of Rs.16,708.47 crore. However, no fresh taxes have been imposed.

Presenting his fourth consecutive budget, Dhumal said against an expenditure of every Rs.100, the state would have Rs.84.35 as the total revenue receipts, including transfers from the central government. “The gap of Rs.15.65 will have to be met by borrowings,” Dhumal, who also holds the finance portfolio, said.

“Out of every Rs.100 of state revenue receipts, Rs.28.67 will be accrued from own tax revenues, Rs.14.15 from non-tax revenues, Rs.14.62 from share in central taxes and Rs.42.56 from central grants.

“Out of every Rs.100 spent, salaries will account for Rs.35.20, interest payments Rs.12.87, loan repayments Rs.5.75, pensions Rs.13.23 and the remaining Rs.32.95 will be spent on developmental works and other activities,” the chief minister said.

To avoid tax evasions and leakages, Dhumal said the excise and taxation department would be computerised.

“The e-return and e-registration facilities will be made available. The facility of e-declaration will be made available for the dealers and industrialists importing goods from other states so that entry at the check posts is smooth and least time consuming,” he said.

“An e-procurement mechanism is being set up for procurement and tendering in the departments of public works, irrigation and public health and controller of stores.

“The government has decided to implement e-stamping system to replace the existing non-judicial stamp papers. In the first phase, the system will be introduced in sub-registrar offices in Shimla and Solan districts.”

For promoting agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors that continue to be the mainstay of livelihood of 70 percent of the total population, a Rs.321-crore crop diversification promotion project funded through Japan International Cooperation Agency will be launched in the state.

Since apple constitutes about 93 percent of the total fruit production in the state, Dhumal said 1,000 hectares would be covered under ‘apple rejuvenation project’ that was launched in this fiscal.

To tap additional sources of hydropower, the budget has proposed to add more than 2,106 MW in the coming fiscal.

For tourism, the Asian Development Bank has approved a financial assistance of about Rs.428 crore to the state for developing tourism-related infrastructure.

“We have tried to take care of every section of society in the high rate of food inflation in the country. Despite financial crisis, the subsidy on essential commodities would continue that is benefiting more than 11 lakh ration card holders,” Dhumal told IANS.

However, Leader of Opposition Vidya Stokes has termed the budget as anti-common man and anti-farmer. “There is nothing new in the budget. It’s just a jugglery of facts,” she told reporters.