Bhubaneswar: The state government Tuesday said in keeping pace with budget expenditure, it has managed to speed up revenue collection from non-tax sources which by the end of June this fiscal (2017-18) has increased by 22 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
The collection from non-tax sources reached` 1588 crore against last year’s collection of `1297 crore by June-end. The revenue from tax sources increased by 12 per cent for the same period this fiscal with a collection of `5250 crore, officials told reporters after a meeting of secretaries, presided over by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
Officials said expenditure under various programmes in the state has gone up by 23 per cent by end of June 2017 in comparison to the corresponding period of last fiscal year.
As per government statistics, programme expenditure during the current fiscal up to June, 2017 reached `11,544 crore thereby marking an increase of 23 per cent over the corresponding period last fiscal.
Programme expenditure refers to the utilization of budgeted funds for various plans, programmes and schemes.
The utilisation in agriculture and allied sector up to June, 2017 has increased by 32 per cent over the corresponding period last fiscal. The expenditure up to June in this sector went up to `3966 crore, the officials said. Likewise, utilisation of budgeted amount in infrastructure laying increased by 23 per cent over the last year with an expenditure of `3074 crore. Social sector spending by June end increased by around 18 per cent while the total expenditure stood at `4034 crore.
During the meeting Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey presented the expenditure updates and outlined the issues for discussion with regard to post-GST scenario.
Officials said, the Chief Secretary advised finance department to organise a thematic workshop on GST for reorienting the heads of the departments towards post GST scenario. All the departments were directed to identify one content manager for handling social media of the department. It was decided that a common web portal for all departments would be developed on open source based platform which would be linked to all departmental portals and social media.
The issues relating to direct benefit transfer (DBT) were also discussed at the meeting. Padhi directed officials to finalise the DBT portal and make it operational in July, 2017. It was decided that DBT for schemes such as MGNREGS, PMAY, PDS, Janani Suraksya Yojana and Input Subsidy would be rolled out in July. Other schemes for DBT portal would be taken up in phase II.
GST, its implications and the steps to be taken by departments in post-GST scenario figured at the meeting. The issues relating to GST exemption in various services provided by government and local bodies were discussed in details during which the Chief Secretary directed all departments to review their work contracts and procurement orders and reassess the GST implications.
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