Five states would be going to the elections in a couple of weeks time. While the nation awaits with bated breath for the results of these elections, it would be interesting to take a look at the affidavits of the Chief Ministers of these five states.
The National Election Watch which has made available and also analysed the affidavits filed by the five Chief Ministers of these states has the following details. National Election Watch (NEW) have analyzed the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission of India of all the 5 Chief Ministers in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati is the richest of all the five CM’s. As per her affidavit she has assets worth Rs 87.27 crore. The lowest assets in the list of five CM’s is Okram Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur has the lowest assets worth Rs 6.09 Lakhs. However Ibobi Singh is also the only Chief Minister who declared their PAN information.
Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, is the only one who has got a criminal case amongst the 5 Chief Ministers. He faces charges of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy etc.
All the 5 Chief Ministers are graduates with Maj. Gen (Retd.) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand holding a Post Graduate Degree.
Detailed list regarding the five Chief Ministers:
Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (graduate) : He is the only Chief Minister with a criminal charge against him in this list. The charges against him are punishment for criminal conspiracy (120B), cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (420), forgery of valuable security, will, etc. (467), forgery for purpose of cheating (468), using as genuine a forged document or electronic record (471).
His assets list include, moveable assets worth Rs 2,54,63,551 and immoveable assets worth Rs 66602320. The total asset value is Rs 92065871.
Here is a look at the performance of the Punjab CM based on the budgets that have been presented under his leadership. Revenue expenditure increased in 2009-10 by 11.6%. The increase was mainly due to increase under general education, pension, assignment to local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions and roads and bridges. Punjab has faced a revenue deficit since 2007-08 since revenue growth has failed to surpass revenue expenditure. Punjab has the fifth highest fiscal deficit of all States which is 3.6% of its Gross State Domestic Product
Mayawati, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, BSP (Graduate Professional) – She faces no criminal charges. She is however the richest of the CM’s in this list. Her moveable assets add up to 125750000 and her immoveable assets account to up to Rs 746992000, the total valuation being Rs 872742000.
Her performance based on the state budget are as follows.
Revenue expenditure increased by 18% in 2009-10, and significantly exceeded the assessment made by the government in the Fiscal Correction Path. Capital expenditure also increased by 12% in 2009-10, mainly due to capital outlay on rural development programmes and procurement of food grains.
More than 50% of the revenue income of the State comes from central sources in the shape of either grants from the Government of India or share of Union Taxes.
It should be noted that the Central Government has been transferring a sizeable quantum of funds directly to the State Implementing Agencies for the implementation of various schemes/programmes in social and economic sectors recognized as critical. These funds are not routed through the State Budget/State Treasury System. The Central Government in 2009-10 transferred an additional 13,710 crore directly to state implementing agencies such as the NREGS. The CAG has commented upon this saying it runs the risk of poor oversight of utilization of funds.
In 2009-10, salaries, interests and pensions payments together comprise of 59% of all revenue expenditure. Salary Bill in 2009-10 as a percentage of revenue expenditure (net of interest payments and pensions) was 50%, while the Twelfth Finance Commission norm was 35%. Pension payments have risen by 177% from Rs. 3991 crore in 2005-06 to Rs. 11,007 crore in 2009-10. Pension payments in 2009-10 exceeded the projection of the Twelfth Finance Commission by 66%. The Government has introduced a Contributory Pension Scheme to mitigate impact of rising pension liabilities. In 2009-10, major sectors given subsidy were energy (38%), rural development (28%), agriculture (20%) and irrigation and flood control (4%).
Major General Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, Chief Minister, Uttarkhand of the Bharatiya Janata Party (Post Graduate). With no criminal cases against him he has moveable assets worth Rs 12172131 and immoveable assets worth Rs 4800000. The total assets add up to Rs 16972131.
The performance based on the budgets presented under his leadership are as follows.
Uttarakhand is a Special Category State because of its mountainous terrain, due to which there are higher infrastructure and transaction costs, as well as higher costs of governance. This means that special privileges are given to Uttarakhand, including financial assistance from the Centre in the ratio 90% grant and 10% loan, unlike non-special category states which get 70% grant and 30% loan.
Revenue Receipts were short by 13% in 2009-10 due to less receipt under Nontax Revenue.
The State Government, in its Mid Term Policy Statement attributed the shortfall revenue collection to the recession in the economy and financial burden that arose by Rs. 2,500 crore after the implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. Capital Expenditure in 2009-10 remained unutilized to the extent of 16%, due to less disbursement under education, rural development and irrigation sector. Over the last 5 years, the budget projections for Revenue Deficit and Fiscal Deficit have not been achieved. The State could not achieve the fiscal deficit target of 4% of Gross State Domestic Product as prescribed in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Management (FRBM) Act, 2005 for the year 200910 which stood at 5.94%.
Salaries, pensions and interest payments together consist of 72% of the total revenue expenditure of the Government in 2009-10, leaving a much smaller amount (Rs. 2424 crore) of revenue expenditure to be spent on new social welfare schemes. This amounts to less than Rs. 2500 per person.
The Twelfth Finance Commission norms prescribe that expenditure under the salaries head should be 35% of revenue expenditure while actual expenditure on salaries accounted for 53% in 2009-2010.
Expenditure on salaries increased by 44% from 2008-09 to 2009-10 due to the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission.
Okram Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur, Indian National Congress (Graduate): He has moveable assets worth Rs 269472 and immoveable assets worth Rs 340000 and the total being Rs 609472.
This is a preview of his performance based on the budget presented under his leadership.
Manipur is a Special Category State with a primarily agrarian population (76% engaged in agriculture). Population density is low at 103 persons per sq. km. compared to the all India average. The literacy rate is higher than that of the all-India average. The Gross State Domestic Product in 2009-10 showed a strong growth of 13.47%. Cumulatively, the Compound Annual Growth Rate from 2000-09 was 11.91% which is marginally higher than the other north-eastern states.
Revenue receipts increased marginally by 0.52 crore (0.01%) over the previous year. Though Tax revenue increased by 25.97 crore and State’s share of Union Taxes and Duties by 16.75 crore, Non–tax revenue and Grants-in-aid from Government of India decreased by 13.71 crore and 28.49 crore respectively, resulting in the stagnating position of Revenue receipt. Revenue expenditure and Capital expenditure increased by 392.12 crore (14.95%) and ` 120.98 crore (8.25%) respectively in 2009-10 over the previous year. The Fiscal deficit of the State increased threefold from 217 crore in 2008-09 to 733 crore in 2009-10. As a result, the ratio of Fiscal Deficit to GSDP increased from 2.83% in 2008-09 to 8.43% in 2009-10. This was mainly due to an increase in market borrowings.
Salaries, interest payments and pensions together consist of 45% of the state’s revenue expenditure in 2009-10. Salaries alone accounted for almost 30%.
The Compounded Annual Growth Rate of Salary and Wages of the State from 2003-04 to 2008-09 is 10.36% and was much higher than that of NE states (7.26%).
Pension payments alone accounted for nearly 8% of Revenue receipts of the State during 2009-10 and increased by 26 crore (10%) from 267 crore last year to 293 crore.
The Compound Annual Growth rate of Interest Payment for Manipur between 2000-01 and 2008-2009 is 10.11% which was much higher than average north east states (7.51%); indicating that the State’s economy was comparatively more stressed due to past liabilities.
Digambar Kamath, Chief Minister of Goa, Indian National Congress (Graduate): No criminal cases against him. He has moveable assets worth Rs 21510815 and immoveable assets worth Rs 10845195, the total being Rs 32356010.
Let us take a look at the performance of the state under his leadership.
Goa has a relatively low population density of 258 persons compared to all India average of 325 persons per sq. km. It also has one of the highest literacy rates of the states in the country, and one of the highest Compound Annual Growth Rates (14.35%) of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of the General Category States in the country.
Revenue receipt grew by 16% in 2009-10 over the previous year mainly due to tax revenue.
Revenue expenditure increased by Rs. 802 crore over the previous year. The increase was mainly under Education, Sports, Art and Culture (160 crore), Pension and Retirement benefits (129 crore), Power (76 crore) and Health and Family Welfare (53 crore). The fiscal deficit during 200910 was 5.49% of GSDP. In 200809 and 200910 the Government of Goa has not received any debt waiver since the necessary conditionalities were not met – the fiscal deficit of Goa was much higher than the ceiling of 3.5 and 4% respectively.
Salaries, interest payments and pensions together consist of almost 49% of the state’s revenue expenditure.
During the years 200809 and 200910 the expenditure on salaries increased 224 crore and 268 crore respectively. The increase was mainly due to payment of Sixth Pay Commission arrears to the Government employees to the extent of 40% in 200809 and the remaining 60% in 200910. The entire arrears have already been paid with no further liability in future years.
Pension payments during 2009-10 increased by 129.94 crore, a highest ever increase of 59% over the previous year, mainly due to implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations. The assessment made by the Twelfth Finance Commission was 199 crore whereas the actual expenditure stood at 350 crore.
Summary of performance of all five states:
The highest fiscal deficit among the 5 state is in Uttar Pradesh, amounting to an all-time high of 20,513 crore in 2008-09 followed by Punjab which recorded a fiscal deficit of 6690 crores in 2008-09.
The fiscal deficit of the Manipur increased threefold from 217 crore in 2008-09 to 733 crore in 2009-10.
Punjab is the only state to have an aggregate revenue deficit of 13,580 crores from 2005-2010 – all the 4 other states have managed to show a revenue surplus in the period of 2005-2010.
In 200809 and 200910 the Government of Goa has not received any debt waiver from the central government since the necessary conditionalities were not met – namely that the fiscal deficit of Goa was higher than the prescribed ceiling of 3.5% and 4% of the Gross State Domestic Product respectively. For example, the fiscal deficit in 2009-10 was 5.49% of GSDP which exceeded the prescribed ceiling.
In Uttarakhand, in 2005-2010, the budget projections for Revenue Deficit and Fiscal Deficit each year have consistently not been achieved. Further, in 2009-10, Capital Expenditure in Uttarakhand remained unutilized to the extent of 16%, due to lower disbursement under education, rural development and irrigation sector.
Salaries, pensions and interest payments together consist of a significant portion of the revenue expenditure of the state government in most states, the two highest being 72% of the total revenue expenditure in 2009-10 in Uttarakhand and 75% of the state’s revenue expenditure in Punjab.
In Punjab, the expenditure on salaries in 2009-10 was 43% of the revenue expenditure, exceeding the norm of 35% envisaged by the Twelfth Finance Commission.
Manipur is the most dependent on central funding of the 5 states; being 90% reliant on GOI sources for revenue receipts in the period between 2005 and 2010.
The hopefuls:
Anil Vasudev Salgaocar
Independent
Sanvordem, Goa: He has moveable assets of Rs 714084216. He heads the Salgaocar Mining Industries which is involved in shipping, pharmaceuticals, mining and export of iron ore worldwide and has business interests in Japan, China, Europe and the Far East.
Ajay Pratap Singh alias Lalla of the Indian National Congress: He hails from the Colonelganj constituency. He has moveable assets worth Rs 11189703 and immoveable assets worth Rs 307430000 the total being Rs 318619703.
Kaushelendra Nath Yogi from the Tulsipur constituency in Uttar Pradesh of the BJP has moveable assets worth Rs 51943.
Thangkholun Haokip from RJD, Manipur has not declared his assets.
Amarinder Singh of the Indian National Congress from Punjab has moveable assets worth Rs 18405247 and immoveable assets worth Rs 366585000 the total being Rs 384990347.