RBI flags risks of expanding DBTs as Telangana’s subsidy bill rises

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 A Study of Budgets, underscores the request   for interaction   assessments of the payment   schemes to measure  their effectiveness successful  achieving the intended outcomes. 

The RBI study, State Finances: A Study of Budgets, underscores the request for interaction assessments of the payment schemes to measure their effectiveness successful achieving the intended outcomes.  | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

With subsidy expenditure steadily expanding, Telangana faces increasing fiscal pressures that could bounds its quality to put adequately successful captious sectors such as health and education, according to a recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI) study.

In the existent fiscal year, the State government allocated ₹16,583 crore for subsidies, chiefly for escaped powerfulness to the workplace sector, of which ₹10,627 crore had been spent till the extremity of December. Similarly, against an allocation of ₹13,109 crore for pensions, the existent expenditure has already exceeded estimates, reaching ₹14,126 crore during the aforesaid period. The Congress government’s committedness of an allowance to unemployed youth, however, is yet to beryllium implemented.

The RBI survey has cautioned State governments against expanding accent connected nonstop payment transfers (DBTs), including a surge successful currency transfers, informing that if not managed carefully, they could constrain the quality of States to adequately money demographically delicate sectors similar wellness and education.

The study, State Finances: A Study of Budgets, underscored the request for interaction assessments of the payment schemes to measure their effectiveness successful achieving the intended outcomes. It expressed interest that the stock of societal information and payment expenditure — encompassing spending connected women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities — has risen for each cohorts with ageing States similar Kerala and Tamil Nadu devoting the highest share, astatine astir 18%, to specified expenditure.

According to the RBI, this summation is largely driven by the enlargement of DBTs, which person go a structural component of State budgets, driven by broad-based argumentation imperatives alternatively than demographic pressures alone. Several States introduced measures successful their 2025-26 budgets, including workplace indebtedness waivers, escaped energy for agriculture and households, subsidised transport, unemployment allowances and nonstop currency transfers to women. 

While acknowledging that societal welfare programmes are indispensable since economical disparities remain stark, the survey warned that rising payment expenditures tally the hazard of crowding retired captious investments successful carnal and societal infrastructure.

Published - January 26, 2026 06:41 p.m. IST

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