Populist budget on cards

Dhumal also has his task cut out in ensuring balance between giving a push to the state’s growth and populist measures.

The debt liability of the state has also increased to Rs 27,000 crore and government servants have been putting pressure seeking more benefits and clearance of pending arrears in accordance with the revised pay scales. There is also a demand to increase the retirement age and pensioners are threatening to go on public protests.

The chief minister on Sunday spent the day with principal secretary (Finance) Srikant Baldi and his core team of the finance department and the chief minister’s secretariat giving final touches to the budget proposals . “ Going to be quite a balanced budget keeping in view overall fiscal position of the state and public good needs,” said an official.

This is the first time that Dhumal has taken an extraordinary step by inviting public suggestions through emails and letters on the common man’s expectations from the budget.

Says Srikant Baldi: “ There were some good suggestions which we tried to incorporate in the budget proposals. Some people posted their suggestions on the website of the finance department and other sent us letters. Next year,we will make it more broad-wise so that people in the rural areas,who constitute 90 per cent of the state’s population can also write their suggestions for the budget”.