How else could the centre have raised Rs 1,300 crore?

Updated on: 7 February 2024 7:25 pm

Published at: 10 February 2001 12:00 am

Paring central salaries and pensions bill, around Rs 40,000 crore now, by just 3.3 per cent.

Cutting subsidies by 5 per cent. Subsidies in the 2000-01 budget take Rs 22,800 crore, 5 per cent of which comes to Rs 1,140 crore.

Raising disinvestment proceeds, budgeted at Rs 10,000 crore in 2000-01, by a mere 13 per cent.

Issuing Gujarat relief bonds, no questions asked on source. That would have been expensive, but the government would have had to pay only in the long term.

Imposing a road cess on petrol, diesel and kerosene. The one already on petrol, at Rs 1 per litre, earned Rs 790 crore last year.

Announcing a flat Rs 6,500 annual tax on farmers on their total income. Surely, there are 2 million farmers in India to afford it?

Increasing taxes on tobacco products by 15 per cent. The government earns Rs 7,700 crore in revenue from such products.

Selling a fraction of central government properties all over India, equal to the area of Delhi. At a conservative estimate, the value of land alone comes to Rs 2,500 crore.