Chhattisgarh’s first chief minister Ajit Jogi dies aged 74

RAIPUR: Ajit Pramod Jogi, the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, died at the age of 74 at a hospital in Raipur, officials said.

Jogi was the pivot of tribal and Dalit politics in the state carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. He emerged as a formidable political force in the tribal-dominated state he led for three years from November 2000 at the helm of a Congress government.

Jogi suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this month and had been in a Raipur hospital since in a comatose state.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced three days of state mourning for Jogi, who will be cremated with full state honours.

NEW DELHI: The country’s fiscal deficit soared to a seven-year high of 4.59% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in FY20 mainly on account of poor revenue realisation. The previous high in fiscal deficit at 4.9% of the GDP was recorded in FY13.

According to the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the fiscal deficit in FY20 worked out to be 4.59% of the GDP, up from 3.8% projected in the revised estimates in February. The original estimate was 3.3%.

The rise in the fiscal deficit, which is a reflection of the government’s borrowing, was mainly on account of subdued tax collection.

The revenue deficit also rose to 3.27%, up from the revised estimate of 2.4%of the gross domestic product. The original estimate was 2.3%.

In absolute terms, total receipts of the government were ₹17.5 lakh crore as against the estimate of ₹19.31 lakh crore.

The CGA data showed the government’s total expenditure was ₹26.86 lakh crore, lower than ₹26.98 lakh crore projected earlier.

Food subsidies during the last fiscal were ₹1.08 lakh crore, the same as per the revised budget estimates.

However, total subsidies, including on petroleum, were lower at ₹2.23 lakh crore, from ₹2.27 lakh crore estimated in the budget.