Financial strength critical for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’: Sitharaman

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said indiscriminate borrowing and spending by certain States on non-merit goods and expenditure is a matter of concern, and fiscal strength is a critical component for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.

The temptation to borrow beyond capacity would create inter-generational burden and affect fiscal soundness of the country, she noted.

“There are new sources of risks every state is facing. The temptation to spend on non-merit goods… The tendency to get into such not-so-viable, non-merit expenditure is very high in some States,” she said.