Public budgeting has become a significant instrument of Government policies. Budget reflects and shapes and in turn is shaped by the country’s economic life and political system. With burgeoning government expenditure and resource limitations to meet such expenditure, efforts have been towards a series of budgetary reforms. But the traditional ‘line-item budget’ alone is in vogue because Performance Budget has become a ritual both for the executive and the legislature and the Zero-based budgeting could not do much because of administrative and political constraints. The long exercise of seven to eight months to prepare budget in government before it is put into effect is no more necessary because of the availability of basic data through the increasing use of information technology. The growing delegation of financial power to administrative departments, both horizontal and vertical, has led to a virtual decline in the effectiveness of financial control. Hence, one finds quite often financial crisis in the government systems. Time has come to review not only the budgetary system but also the control mechanism so that those who spend in the government will immediately be brought to book for the misuse of public funds. Those who spend should also be responsible for raising funds to meet such expenditure by improving services or else they should reduce expenditure where it is feasible. The present volume is a pioneering study in the realm of Government budgeting at the state level. Its suggestions and lessons are bound to be of utility at the cross-state level in India and other developing countries which are struggling to introduce effective financial administration in government systems. The book will of immense relevance to the students and practitioners of financial and public administration.
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