Presenting a bleak picture of the financial health of Uttarakhand, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report on State finances and audit tabled in Uttarakhand assembly on Tuesday has said that the revenue deficit has witnessed a five-fold increase in the year 2017-18 as compared to the year 2016-17.
Incidentally Uttarakhand was a revenue surplus state in the year 2013-14. The revenue deficit of the State in the year 2016-17 was Rs 383 crore which increased to Rs 1978 crore in the year 2017-18. The fiscal deficit also increased from Rs 5467 crore in the year 2016-17 to Rs 7935 crore in the year 2017-18.
In its report, the CAG mentions that the fiscal deficit at 3.65 per cent of GSDP was above the normative target of 3.25 per cent of GSDP as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. The CAG also indicted the Government departments for non submittal of 102 Utilisation Certificates (UC) due for submission by March 2018 to the Accountant General. It suggested that the government should ensure the timely submission of UCs by the departments. The CAG indicted the medical health and family welfare department for failing to realise compensation of Rs 18 crore from doctors for breach of contracts.
When contacted, the parliamentary affairs minister and State Government spokesperson Madan Kaushik said that the all the financial parameters are within the permissible limit. He attributed increase in fiscal deficit to the infrastructural projects.
