TELANGANA BUDGET 2017: HIGHLIGHTS

TELANGANA BUDGET 2017: HIGHLIGHTS
Telangana's finance minister Etala Rajender presented the fourth budget of the State. Here are the highlights of the budget speech:

• Total budget size is Rs 149646 crore.
• The revised estimate of 2016-17 budget expenditure was 86.02% or Rs 112191.07 crore.
• Estimated committed expenditure is of Rs 61607.20 crore.
• Revenue surplus is of Rs 4571.30 core and fiscal deficit of Rs 26096.31 crore.
• Mission Bhagiratha, the piped drinking water programme gets Rs 3000 crore.
• Information technology department gets Rs 252.89 crore in the budget.
• Expenditure in schemes pegged at Rs 88038.80 crore.
• Irrigation continues to be priority area for the state. To get Rs 25000 crore this year too.
• Revenue expenditure pegged at Rs 50954.61 crore.
• Rs 4000 crore set aside towards payment of fourth and final instalment to banks towards the Rs 17000 crore farm loan waiver scheme.
• Agriculture and allied sectors to get Rs 46946.98 crore.
• 19.61 per cent growth rate achieved.
• Rs 300 crore allocated for Warangal Municipal Corporation. Warangal is the second biggest city in Telangana after Hyderabad.
• Urban infrastructure development to rely on 'extra budgetary resources'.
• Finance minister says rural economy is the focus.
• Backward classes welfare to benefit fishermen and shepherd communities.
• Rs 1000 crore allocated for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
• SC, ST welfare funds unspent to be carried forward to this year's budget. Funds for SC, ST welfare based on population ratio.