The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Tuesday presented a Rs 2.61 lakh crore budget, asserting that the state's finances were in a good shape as evident from markers like the fiscal deficit being under the prescribed conditional limit. Tabling the budget before the state assembly, Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said that the state government seeks to create additional posts in the police force besides appointing teachers and filling up vacant posts in various departments. He flagged concerns like a drop in grants in aid received from the Centre, compared to the previous year, though Bihar's share in central taxes saw a rise.
The state has a Revenue Surplus of Rs 4,478.97 crore during 2023-24 which is 0.52 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product, he said adding the GSDP estimate is Rs 8,58,928 crore for the year 2023-24. “The Fiscal Deficit has been estimated at Rs 25,567.84 crore which is 2.98 per cent of the GSDP estimate,” said the finance minister. The total proposed budget expenditure of Rs 2,61,885.40 crore for the year 2023-24 was Rs 24,194.21 crore more than the previous financial year. The state government also cited achievements like the fiscal deficit remaining at 3.78 per cent, which is under the prescribed conditional limit of 4.5 per cent.
The budget pointed out that the grants in aid expected from the Centre for the current fiscal were estimated at Rs 53,377.92 crore, which is Rs 4,623.37 crore less than what was received in the previous financial year. However, the budget also noted a slight increase in the state's share in central taxes, which, at Rs 1,02,737.26 crore for 2023-24, was Rs 376.12 crore more than the previous year. “The state government has already sent requisition to the Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar Staff Selection Commission and the Bihar Technical Service Commission for filling 63,900 vacancies in different departments of the state government on top priority in the coming financial year,” Choudhary said.
The Bihar Police has also been asked to create 75,543 additional posts in 2023-24. Besides, more than one lakh teachers will be appointed by the education department and over 10,000 tutors by various state-run Nursing Training institutes in the next financial year. Providing the best infrastructure facilitates and quality education to the students, the state government has decided to allocate Rs 22,200 crore to the education department in 2023-24. This will be followed by the Rural Development Department (Rs 15,193 crore), Social Welfare (Rs 8191 crore), Rural Works Department (Rs 7950 crore) and the Health Department (Rs 7117 crore), said Choudhary. In the financial year 2023-24, the amount to be spent for the benefit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities has been earmarked separately under Minor Head so that it cannot be spent for any other purpose, the finance minister said. “For the financial year 2023-24, Rs 16,939.53 crore has been earmarked for Scheduled Castes Special Component Plan and Rs 1,574.49 crore has been earmarked for Tribal Sub Plan”, he said.
