'State to run all schemes, including social welfare'
KOLKATA: Alleging that the state government still owes Rs 90000 crore from the Centre, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated that all the ongoing schemes including those in the social services sector will continue.
She asserted that the state's revenue collection has increased 3.76 times since 2010-11, despite deprivation and the dual blow of COVID and a couple of major natural calamities in the last two years.
"The COVID-19 pandemic and the natural calamities like Amphan and Yaas had not been a deterrent in the state's revenue collection. In 2010-11 when the state government assumed office for the first time, the revenue collection was Rs 21129 crore while Rs 79347 crore has been projected in the Budget for the 2022-23 financial year," Banerjee said addressing reporters after the tabling of the state Budget on Friday.
She added that the Centre collects GST, income tax, cess and custom duty from the state but deprives the latter while handing over the state's share.
"We have Rs 6334 crore due in connection with cyclone Bulbul, Rs 32310 crore for severe cyclonic storm Amphan, Rs 4222 crore for cyclone Yaas , Rs 15865 under Samagra Siksha Mission, Rs 2330 crore under BRGF (Backward Regions Grant Fund) and Rs 1264 crore in food subsidy," Banerjee elaborated.
Taking the cue from the Chief Minister, Amit Mitra Principal Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister and Finance Department alleged that even the protected revenue of GST has been denied to the state in connection with 2021-22 fiscal, the shortfall being Rs 5594 crore. "The Chief Minister has personally met the Prime Minister and has even written on more than one occasion seeking extension of the GST compensation from three to 5 years citing the COVID-19 pandemic situation but no response has been elicited,"Mitra added.
The total Budget projected at Rs 3,21030 crore has increased 3.8 times up from Rs 84803 crore in 2010-11, the state demand allocation has gone up from Rs 18793 crore to Rs 126305 crore (increase of 6.7 percent) while physical infrastructure has increased from Rs 1759 to Rs 10422 (6 times increase). "The social service sector investment has witnessed an increase of 10.7 times, which we should be proud of. The projected Budget in this sector is Rs 73441 crore up from Rs 6846 crore in 2010-11," Banerjee said.
The Budget in various departments that have increased are—Agriculture (33.2 times), Health & Family Welfare (19.3 times), Education (25.4 times), Women & Child Development (17.5 times), Public Health & Engineering (16.1 times), Minority Affairs (10.6 times), Backward Classes and Tribal Development (6.7 times) while that in Panchayats and Rural Development by 10.6 times.
Banerjee added that 100341 km of rural roads have been constructed since 2010-11 when there was only 29706 km roads.
