Tax-free deficit budget presented in Assembly

Ranchi, Mar 10 (UNI) Jharkhand Finance Minister Raghubor Das today presented a Rs 712.72 crore tax-free deficit budget for the year 2006-2007.

Presenting the budget in the assembly the Minister said Rs 15,394.84 crore have been proposed under consolidated fund expenditure while the estimated reciepts were Rs 14,478.95 crore.

The opposition members, however, walked out of the House immediately after Mr Das started reading the speech.

He said the size of the budget for 2006-2007 was Rs 15,394 crore, which comprise the state plan of Rs 6500 crore, central plan schemes of Rs 369.70 crore, centrally sponsored scheme of Rs.944.74 crore and non-plan expenditure of Rs.7580.40 crore.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Mr Das said top priority has been given to agriculture and rural development in the budget as about two crore people live in the villages and all-round development of the state depend only on development of the agricultural sector.

So the government has decided to allot about 32.8 per cent of the budget for the agriculture and rural development, while 16.3 per cent would be alloted to the electricity sector, he said.

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