57. As Hon’ble Members are aware details of the revised estimates for 1997-98 were presented along with the interim budget in March 1998. I am, therefore, not going over those estimates again. The figures that are given below are the budget estimates for 1998-99. I shall compare them with the revised estimates for 1997-98, since budget estimates are after all estimates. What really matters is the expenditure in the previous year and the increase proposed in this year’s budget.

58. I shall now briefly go over the budget estimates for 1998-99.

59. For 1998-99, the total expenditure is estimated at Rs.268107 crore. Of this, Rs.72,002 crore has been provided as budget support for Central, States and UT Plans and balance Rs.1,96,105 crore is for non-plan expenditure. Hon’ble Members will be pleased to note that the budget support for the plan has been increased by Rs.11,372 crore from Rs.60,630 crore in revised estimates 1997-98, which is the largest increase ever in absolute terms. Even in percentage terms the 18.8 per cent increase is the highest in the last decade, except for one year.