Page 2 - Government Expenditure

States must step up capex, says RBI governor Shaktikanta Das

Quality spending can have multiplier effect, says Das

Prioritising expenditure necessary in short term, says MPC member

Revival of the Indian economy would be sustained if the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, eminent economist Shashanka Bhide said on Sunday

Infrastructure fund yields depend on govt expenditure, say analysts

Let managers of diversified equity funds decide exposure, avoid direct investment

Centre borrows less than planned amid second wave of Covid-19 pandemic

Compared with last year, though, the borrowing has been higher

Best of BS Opinion: Prioritising expenditure, moving on infra agenda & more

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for Wednesday

Prioritising expenditure

Govt must focus on providing relief to the needy at this point

RBI says economic cost of second Covid-19 wave may be limited to Q1

Government must now step up expenditure to boost demand for private investment and consumption, said RBI

Centre tightens rules of grant allocation for transparency, efficiency

The Department of Expenditure order vouches for more effective cash management and bring more efficiency in public expenditure management

Increasing fiscal constraints

Govt must focus on mobilising more revenues

Focus on capex does not make Budget inflationary: Expenditure Secretary

We expect the cost of the vaccination to be Rs 700 per person. This includes the price of two shots at Rs 200-250 each, says Somanathan

Fiscal activism

Govt should tread carefully on this path

Expense planning: Budgetary allocations likely to maintain status quo

The numbers in aggregate mean the Government of India will not let the fiscal deficit run away in FY22

Beyond Budget Headlines: Health & education deserve more outlay, attention

Healthcare and education are some of the important sectors that are usually not given the attention they deserve in India’s Union Budgets. It has been so for many years. But the situation this time is different. At a time when the country – indeed, the entire world – is working to tide over a health crisis presented by the coronavirus pandemic, will Budget 2021 make a departure from the trend and place its expenditure focus on these sectors? In the fifth episode of ‘Beyond Budget Headlines with AKB’, Business Standard’s special video series in the run-up to Budget 2021, we discuss about the expenditure side of the Budget and look at sectors that have traditionally not been India's top expense areas but are now in the spotlight because of recent developments. The government needs to loosen its purse string in this pandemic Budget and spend more on the health sector, says our in-house policy expert A K Bhattacharya.

Beyond Headlines: Govt must invest in small-gestation projects to expedite recovery

Many think that the Narendra Modi government has spent a lot this year, especially to mitigate issues faced by people in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But has it? It’s true that the government has announced stimulus packages to the tune of Rs 30 trillion. But if one were to make a comparison, the govt expenditure this year (till October-end) was roughly the same as last year. Given that expenditure was budgeted to be 13 per cent more this year, it is expected that the finance minister will spend more to expedite economic recovery. But where should she spend? Infrastructure, many say. Yes, of course the government should spend on infrastructure, but will that yield immediate benefits? Watch the video to learn more >

Beyond Budget Headlines with AKB: Govt should invest in small-gestation projects

In this second episode of our special video series on Budget, A K Bhattacharya talks about fiscal deficit target, government spending and disinvestment goals

Beyond Headlines: Should there be a range for fiscal deficit target?

The govt expenditure this year (till October-end) was at roughly the same level as that seen in the same period last year

No escape from extra borrowing

Despite growth likely in the second half of the year, revenue gap will be large leading to higher borrowing and expenditure management

Govt deviates from norm, asks House to regularise 2-year-old expenditure

Demonstrates the sluggishness at the Centre in finalising its accounts, which means the states have to depend on older data to make their point about revenue and expenditure mismatch

Govt presents first batch of supplementary demand for grants: An explainer

The demand is to spend an additional Rs 2.36 trillion in FY21

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