Poll-bound states spend heavily this year amid ambitious Budget projections

But their Budget numbers are inclined to be overstated due to substantial revisions in revenues and grants shared by the Centre

States have generously expanded their Budget sizes and have projected a massive growth in expenditure this year, shows a Business Standard analysis of seven territorial Budgets presented to date. 

They project 13 per cent growth in revenue expenditure, or current spending items such as salaries, pensions, interest payments, followed by health and education sector schemes and other welfare areas. But when it comes to productive spending such as that on roads and infrastructure, they have gone a step ahead to put on paper 42 per cent growth in capex. 

When the economy is set to contract 3.8 per cent in