Citing fiscal strains, Expenditure Department advises towards PMGKAY extension

It shouldn’t be advisable to proceed the Pradhan Mantri Garia Kalyan Anna Yoajana (PMGKAY) past its current extension (until September) each on “grounds of food security and on fiscal grounds” on condition that it’s as it’s “far beyond the need of non-pandemic times”, the Department of Expenditure underneath the Ministry of Finance has acknowledged. Huge improve in fertiliser subsidy burden (each urea & non-urea), re-introduction of subsidy on cooking fuel, discount of excise responsibility on petrol, diesel and customs responsibility on varied merchandise have created a severe fiscal scenario, it stated.

“The budgeted fiscal deficit at 6.40 % of GDP was itself extremely high by historical standards, and deterioration therein poses a risk of serious adverse consequences. It is vital that major subsidy increases/tax reductions are not done. In particular, it is not advisable to continue the PMGKAY beyond its present extension, both on grounds of food security and on fiscal grounds. As it is, each family is getting 50 kg of grains, 25 kg at a nominal price of Rs.2/Rs.3, and 25 kg free. This is far beyond the need at a non-pandemic time,” the Expenditure Department stated.

In March, the federal government prolonged the PMGKAY scheme for one more six months until September 2022. The authorities has spent roughly Rs 2.60 lakh crore until March and one other Rs 80,000 crore will likely be spent until September 2022, taking the full expenditure for PM-GKAY to almost Rs 3.40 lakh crore. The scheme covers practically 80 crore beneficiaries offering 5kg of foodgrains monthly without cost underneath this scheme. The extra free grains are over and above the conventional quota supplied underneath the NFSA at a subsidised charge of Rs 2-3 per kg.

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The Budget had pegged the fiscal deficit at 6.4 per cent of the GDP or Rs 16.61 lakh crore. In April, the primary month of the present fiscal, the deficit stood at Rs 74,846 crore – or 4.5 per cent of the full-year goal. In 2021-22, the deficit was 6.71 per cent or Rs 15.86 lakh crore, decrease than the revised estimates of 6.9 per cent on higher tax income mop up.

Fertiliser subsidy is estimated to rise to Rs 2.15 lakh crore from the budgeted stage of Rs 1.05 lakh crore for 2022-23, having already seen an outgo of Rs 60,939.23 crore for the primary six months of this fiscal. The authorities’s funds are additionally strained after the latest excise responsibility cuts, that are estimated to price Rs 1 lakh crore. The cooking fuel subsidy to the poor is estimated to price the federal government Rs 6,100 crore, whereas the income loss from the recalibration in customs responsibility on iron and metal and plastic is anticipated to be Rs 10,000-15,000 crore.