Gujarat's debt burden swells to over Rs 1,82,000-crore

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government today said that as per the revised estimates of 2015-16, the state's public debt stands at Rs 1,82,098 crore. While responding to a written query raised by Congress MLA Anil Joshiara during the Question Hour in the State Assembly, Finance Minister Nitin Patel said as per the revised estimates for 2015-16, Gujarat owes more than Rs 1,82,000 crore as public debt, an increase of Rs 18,647 crore than the previous year.

In the last financial year state's public debt was Rs 1,63,451 crore. Responding to a sub-question related to loans taken by government during last two years, Patel said the government has borrowed Rs 19,454 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 24,852 crore the following year. In 2014-15, the state government has paid Rs 13,061 crore as interest and Rs 5,509 crore as principal amount against the loans taken by the state.

In 2015-16, state had paid Rs 14,495 crore as interest and Rs 6,205 crore as principal, added Patel's reply. Earlier this week, the state government had informed the Assembly that per capita income in Gujarat stands at Rs 1.38 lakh.