Hyderabad: Albeit the impact of coronavirus pandemic on revenues, Telangana government on Thursday presented a Rs 2.30 lakh crore-Budget, 26 percent higher than the previous year's outlay. Revenue surplus in the Budget is estimated at Rs 6,743.50 crore and the estimated fiscal deficit is Rs 45,509.60 crore.

Finance Minister T. Harish Rao in the Assembly presented the 2021-22 Budget, proposing total expenditure of Rs 2,30,825.96 crore comprising revenue expenditure of Rs 1,69,383.44 crore and capital expenditure of Rs 29,046.77 crore.

The massive outlay, 63 percent higher than the revised estimates of Rs 1.46 lakh crore for 2020-21, was despite reports that the government may downsize the Budget due to the impact of the pandemic on the state's revenues.

Pointing out that the lockdown had a drastic impact on the economy of the States and the Centre, the minister the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country plummeted like never before in the history.

While the GDP growth at current prices in 2020-21 is estimated to be at -3.8 percent, in Telangana, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is estimated to be at +1.3 percent. He said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao took the steps to protect the health of the people also took precautionary steps to minimise the impact of corona on State economy.

Stating that the State economy is on a gradual recovery path, he hoped that there would be a significant improvement in the GSDP of the State in the next financial year. The Budget has been formulated accordingly, he said.

The minister announced a new scheme called CM Dalit Empowerment Programme for the all-round development of Scheduled Castes. He proposed an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the scheme in the Budget.

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