Chhattisgarh budget to be presented on February 22

The Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh will present the state budget for the fiscal 2010-11 on February 22. The cabinet has approved the state budget and the government has decided to present it in the Legislative Assembly on February 22 at 3 pm, official sources in the state government said. The second phase of the budget session of state assembly will begin on February 15.

Chief Minister Raman Singh, who holds the portfolio of finance department, will present the budget. This will be the second budget of his second successive term in power.

Sources hinted that the total size of the state budget for the financial year 2010-11 could be about Rs 29,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore. The size of state budget in the current fiscal has reached Rs 25,000 crore.

When Chhattisgarh came into being in 2000, the total size of the state budget was about Rs 7,000 crore. Over the decade, it has increased to nearly four fold in the mineral-rich state.

Sources said that the state government, though planning not to launch any ambitious scheme, would give priority to social and agriculture sector in the coming budget. Special stress has been given on development works as it remained stranded last (calendar) year because of elections, sources added.