Forget Union budget, track state budgets now

Published on:

26 Feb 2015, 12:45 pm

States, already flush with cash surplus of Rs 1.6 lakh crore, will get significantly raised share from the central taxes. Along with this financial devolution, the Central government is also going to devolve the responsibility of planning and implementation of centrally sponsored schemes to states in the coming budget. This makes state budgets the key instruments of gauging the social sector

Author: Richard Mahapatra

Just four days before the Union budget, the government accepted the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission. The Commission’s key recommendation is to increase the states’ share in central taxes from 32 to 42 per cent. It is a windfall that has great ramifications for the social sector. The Commission’s financial allocation will leave the Central government with less money. This implies the Central government will encourage states to spend more on social sector and also devolve implementation of the Centrally-sponsored schemes that currently form bulk of the social sector spending.

‘Union Budget should address Telangana farmers’ woes’

In the past two months, about 50 farmers have reportedly ended their lives in the state

Author: M Suchitra

Telangana’s farming sector is in grave crisis. The state experienced severe drought this year and received 42 per cent less rainfall, according to the state government. Farmer suicides continue at the rate of three to four every day. In the past two months, about 50 farmers have reportedly ended their lives.

Bihar hopes Union Budget will set right Finance Commission's 'wrong'

Finance Commission recommended curtailing funds under Backward Region Grant Fund

Author: Alok Gupta

Bihar's politicians, bureaucrats and economists are wondering what the Union Budget will have on offer after the 14th Finance Commission recommended that Centrally-sponsored scheme funds and Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) be curtailed for the state since it was now classified as a "performing state".

Check Jharkhand’s degrading environment

Unscientific mining has caused rampant environmental degradation in the state in the absence of proper monitoring

Author: Alok Gupta

Union Budget 2015-16: Andhra asks Centre to fulfill promises made during bifurcation

Revenue deficit of the state for the next five years is around Rs 100,000 crore

Author: M Suchitra

Cash-starved Andhra Pradesh seems to have pinned all its hopes on Narendra Modi government's first full-fledged budget to be presented by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 28. The state expects the Centre to fulfill all the promises it had made during bifurcation of the state and help it tide over the grave financial crisis facing the state economy.

Help Kerala’s rubber sector recover from crisis, urges state finance minister

In the run up to Union Budget 2015, M Suchitra speaks to Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani to draw up a list of the state’s expectations from the budget this year

As an immediate measure to revive the sector, the Centre should raise the import duty of natural rubber from the current 20 per cent to 40 per cent. Rubber sector can be brought under the ambit of the new “Make in India” scheme. The Central government must declare a scheme for supporting rubber growers with soft interest loans from banks.

State specific issues under various rural development schemes

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