BHUBANESWAR: Consistently maintaining revenue surplus status and keeping the fiscal deficit well within the threshold limit, the total expenditure of the State has been witnessing double digit growth over the years.
Growing at an average rate of 14.5 per cent (pc) annually since 2011-12, the total expenditure (revenue and capital) stood at Rs 1,20,125 crore in 2018-19. The expenditure continued its high growth in 2019-20 (budget estimate) with an estimated rate of 15.71 pc over the revised estimate of 2018-19.
“Revenue expenditure has witnessed consistent double digit growth during the last eight years growing at an annual average rate of 14 pc. This high growth is expected to continue in the coming years as well,” said the Odisha Economic Survey 2019-20 tabled in the Assembly on Monday.
Revenue expenditure is estimated to grow at 19.06 pc in 2019-20 over 2018-19. The developmental sector, with its high share and annual average growth rate of 14 pc is the driver of growth in the revenue expenditure. However, growth in various components of revenue expenditure has been volatile, it added.
Similarly, the capital outlay has been witnessing high growth in harmony with the State’s focus on improving the social and economic infrastructure. The outlay in 2018-19 was Rs 2,36,55.24 crore, almost 5.3 times of its value in 2011-12. On an average, 29 pc of capital outlay has been diverted towards major and medium irrigation and flood control in the last eight years. In 2018-19, Rs 7,601.19 crore was expected to be spent on such projects which accounted for 32.1 pc of the capital outlay.
Another focus centre of the Government is to build the transport system. Odisha still has one of the lowest rail connectivity among all States. In 2018-19, 33.6 pc of capital outlay was allocated for transport purposes, the report said. “The State has one of the highest developmental expenditure to aggregate the disbursement ratio. On an average, the Government has spent Rs 14,641 annually per capita for developmental purposes between 2014-15 and 2018-19,” it said.
In comparison to neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, the average per capita spending in Odisha on irrigation is second highest which is Rs 1,610 and third highest in health and education amounting to Rs 1,017 and Rs 2,979 respectively.