Plan expenditure in West Bengal rises to 33.22 pc in FY 2013

KOLKATA: Plan expenditure in West Bengal increased 33.22 per cent in 2012-13 as per the unaudited provisional figures released by Auditor General of India, Finance Minister Amit Mitra said today.

Announcing the figures in the West Bengal assembly during passing of the West Bengal Appropriation Bill, 2013, Mitra said Plan expenditure of major departments like education, panchayat & rural development, PHE, minority affairs and PWD increased substantially during the year as per the released data.

He said the rise in Plan expenditure reflected the amount of assets created in the state during the period.

Mitra said that growth in revenue generation during the last fiscal, as per the provisional figures, increased 31.57 per cent against the target of 25 per cent.

He said the target was set at 25 per cent, the expected rise in revenue generation was 30 per cent. But it had actually increased 31.57 per cent, Mitra said.

The assembly also passed The West Bengal VAT (Amendment) Bill 2013 by virtue of which value-added tax on cigarettes and cigars would increase from 30 per cent to 35 per cent.