This year’s budget will focus on the poor and aam aadmi: Rameshwar Oraon

RANCHI: The state government will seek suggestions and ideas from experts and the common people for preparing its budget document for the upcoming financial year, state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said on Thursday.
“Our government is not for the capitalists and the rich. It is for the aam aadmi and gareeb log (the common man and the poor people). So our budget this year will be aimed to uplift the poor people and providing relief to the common people from the middle class families,” Oraon said.
On January 10, chief minister Hemant Soren launched a dedicated portal for seeking suggestions from the people on this year’s budget.
The portal, titled Hameen Kar Budget (available on finance.jharkhand.gov.in) will remain open till January 20 for suggestions. That apart, Oraon said that a consultation meeting will be held with experts on January 25 in Ranchi to seek their suggestions on ways to increase the state’s revenue collection by increasing capital expenditure.
Former chief minister Raghubar Das held pre-budget consultation meetings in rural areas during his tenure.
While Oraon did not divulge much, his cabinet colleague Alamgir Alam said this year’s budget is likely to focus on healthcare, rural development and rural infrastructure and education. “Rural economy will be at the heart of this year’s budget,” Alam said.
The budget session of Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha is likely to be convened during the fourth week of February, he added.
Oraon had tabled a state budget of Rs 1.01 lakh crore in 2022, which was an increase by 11% from its previous year.
The state government raised its allocations on health, food and civil supplies and drinking water by 27%, 21% and 20% respectively from last year after underscoring them as focus areas. Budgetary allocations in education were increased by 6.5%.
The state, however, has been grappling to shore up its targeted revenues due to a dip in excise duty collections and the withdrawal of GST compensation scheme by the Centre in July last year. That apart, implementation of the old pension scheme is also expected to strain the state’s earnings in coming years.
“The financial burden due to the old pension scheme will become visible after 15 years, not now,” the minister said.