Yeddy Now Talks of Finances, Claims Excellent Performance

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Apr 5: Amid the hustle-bustle of politics and the trading of charges and counter-charges between the leaders of the opposition Congress and JD(S) and the ruling BJP in Karnataka with chief minister B S Yeddyurappa being the target, the latter took time off to talk about the State’s finances and claimed that his Government had fared extremely well in fiscal performance.

The Chief Minister, who convened an urgent press conference in the evening to repudiate the opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s charges against the BJP Government as also the tirade by the JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on the alleged mismanagement of state’s finances, contended that Karnataka’s fiscal performance during 2010-11 ''has significantly improved" over that of the previous year 2009-10.

''The State’s fiscal performance during 2010-11 over 2009-10 has significantly improved in respect of all financial indicators," Yeddyurappa said.

The total receipts during 2010-11, according Yeddyurappa, were Rs 58,181 crore, which was 17 % more than that of the previous year’s figure of Rs 49,781 crore. The total expenditure during the same period rose to Rs 72,020 crore, which was also 17 % more than the previous year’s Rs 62,964 crore.

As in the previous years, he said the state had maintained its excellent record of achieving revenue surplus which was expected to be of the order of Rs 3,150 crore, almost double the previous year’s figure of Rs 1691 crore.

However, the Government has managed to reduce the debt burden from 24.9 % of GSDP in 2009-10 to 23.6 % in 2010-11. Significantly, even the ratio of interest payment to revenue receipts had declined rom 10.6 % in 2009-10 to 9.7 % in 2010-11.

More importantly, he said the Government has been able to record a plan achievement of Rs 31,000 crore during the current as against Rs 26,944 crore during the previous year.

''The actual plan achievement in the current year," Yeddyurappa said, ''would be Rs 31,750 crore marking an increase of 18 % over that of 2009-10." The plan achievement has been more than even the figures indicated in the revised estimates during the budget proposals submitted in the state legislature in February, he said.

''These are all actual facts. They can be verified. The opposition is free to examine and compare the facts to judge the veracity of the figures," he said asking the opposition parties not to indulge in baseless rumour-mongering to discredit the State’s excellent fiscal record.

Yeddyurappa said the overall receipts and expenditure targets of the State as per the revised estimates had been fully met. While the overall expenditure as compared to revised estimates is nearly the same, the capital expenditure has increased by 10 % and revenue expenditure had been reduced by an equal size. ''This reflects the Government’s commitment for developing the State’s infrastructure," he asserted.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to former deputy prime minister Babu Jagjivan Ram on his 104th birth anniversary by garlanding the statue in front of Vidhana Soudha.

The Government orders for implementation of various schemes announced in the State budget for 2011-12 will be issued in this month, he said while speaking to reporters after garlanding the statue of the tallest Dalit leader.

Two rounds of meetings with secretaries of various departments had been conducted and efforts would be made to issue government orders before April end for implementation of various budgetary schemes in 2011-12, the Chief Minister said.

He recalled the contributions of former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram in the upflitment of socially and economically weaker sections of the people.

Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy, Kannada and Culture Minister Govind M Karjol and other officials paid tributes to Jagjivan Ram.