96 SOCIAL SCIENTIST Table 3 Share of Revenue Expenditure on Medical and Public Health in Total State Government Revenue Expenditure States 199f)~91(Acc) 1991-92(Acc) 1992-93** 1993-94* Andhra Pradesh 7.80 7.49 7.68 7.83 Assam 10.95 7.60 8.19 7.83 Bihar 7.50 8.52 7.14 8.43 Gujarat 732 6.19 6.75 6.22 Haryana 6.66 6.97 6.91 7.04 Karnataka 7.65 8.03 8.05 8.51 Kerala 9.86 9.00 8.78 9.33 Madhya Pradesh 9.18 8.56 8.47 8.74 Maharashtra 7.82 7.29 7.35 6.32 Orissa 8.01 8.77 8.56 8.31 Punjab 8.14 5.93 8.39 7.34 Rajasthan 11.52 10.20 9.89 10.00 Tamil Nadu 9.19 9.21 8.70 9.02 Uttar Pradesh 8.65 7.23 7.32 6.42 West Bengal 9.81 8.77 8.22 7.62 • * Budget Estimates ** Revised Estimates Source: Budget Documents at respective state governments. for the poorer sections who depend a great deal on publicly provided health services. It is all the more surprising that such recommendations should be made in a milieu when there is greater awareness the world over of the importance of public provision of basic needs and the ensuing improvement in the quality of human capital. The high disease burden of the country which is due to the continued prevalence and, in some cases, resurgence of several communicable disease and the low level of income of the bulk of the population make it imperative for the government to adopt a more active role in strengthening the infrastructure for health provision, increasing allocations and ensuring their effective utilisation. NOTES AND REFERENCES 1. World Bank, World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health, Washington, 1993. 2. World Bank, India: Health Sector Financing—Coping with Adjustment: Opportunities for Reform, Washington, 1993. 3. Griffin, C., Health Care in Asia: A Comparative Study of Cost and Financing, World Bank Regional and Sectoral Studies, World Bank, Washington D.C., 1992. 4. National Council of Applied Economic Research, Household Survey of Medical Care, New Delhi, 1992.