PORVORIM: The State’s development expenditure witnessed a 20.76 percent growth in 2015-16 compared to the previous year, the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) said in its report tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
“While the State’s total expenditure showed a growth rate of 16.17 percent, the growth rate of development expenditure was 20.76 percent over the previous year,” the report stated adding that the development expenditure increased by 49 percent (Rs 2,369 crore) from Rs 4,838 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 7,207 crore in 2015-16.
“During the FY 2015-16, 81 percent of the development expenditure was incurred on development revenue expenditure,” it added. CAG reveals that the development revenue expenditure increased by Rs 816 crore (16.19 percent) from Rs 5040 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 5856 crore in 2015-16.
The increase was mainly due to increase in expenditure under social services (Rs 368 crore) and economic services (Rs 448 crore). In social services the increase was mainly under education, sports, arts and culture (Rs 111cr), health and family welfare (Rs 53cr), water supply, sanitation, housing and urban development (Rs 69cr).
In economic services, the increase was in agriculture and allied activities (Rs 46cr), rural development (Rs 57cr) and energy (Rs 170cr).
“The actual development revenue expenditure in 2015-16 was less than the State projections in the Budget by Rs 599 crore,” CAG stated.
On the other hand, the development capital expenditure increased by Rs 423 crore (45.58 percent) from Rs 928 crores in 2014-15 to Rs 1,351 crore in 2015-16. “This was also less than the State projections in the budget by Rs 657 crores,” CAG said.
