AMN

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu presented his government’s first annual budget in the Himachal Pradesh State Assembly, in Shimla on Friday.

In the 53,413 crore rupee budget, the revenue receipts are estimated to be 37,999 crore rupees and the total revenue expenditure at 42,704 crore rupees. Thus, the total revenue deficit is estimated to be 4,704 crore rupees, while the fiscal deficit is estimated to be 9,900 crore rupees, which is 4.61 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that the budget 2023-24 gives a new direction to the economy of Himachal Pradesh for its green, healthy and prosperous future. He said that new initiatives have been proposed in this budget to develop Himachal Pradesh as a ‘Green State’ by March 31, 2026.

The Chief Minister said that this budget has been presented to create employment opportunities through investment in infrastructure in tourism and other sectors. It aims to ensure timely availability of health, education and other government services with the use of technology.

Mr Sukhu said that he is confident that resources will be arranged with effective tax compliance, cooperation of the Central Government and better financial management.