Successful in bringing down revenue deficit: FM
CHANDIGARH: Haryana finance minister Capt Abhimanyu on Thursday said the state government had been successful in bringing down the revenue deficit from 1.9% during the previous Congress regime to 0.94% in the state budget for 2017-18 and its target was to further reduce to it 0% by 2019.
Replying to the discussion on budget estimates, Abhimanyu said the suggestions received by the government from members of the state assembly and other stakeholders would also be considered while framing future development policies and programmes.
The budget of over Rs 1 lakh crore aimed at the welfare of all sections of the society, including farmers, labourers, traders, employees, women and youth.
While referring to the strong financial health of the state economy, he said that various statements were being issued by the opposition parties claiming that the fiscal and revenue deficit had increased. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the state which was 5.7% in 2014-15 had first increased to 8.7% last year and a GDP of 9% was projected for 2017-18. He said that the growth rate of per capita income had been projected as 7.2% whereas it was 4% in 2014-15.
He said that when the present government came into being, the agriculture growth rate stood at minus 2%, but after two years it had increased with positive growth of 7%.