कैलिफ़ोर्निया के गवर्नर आर्नल्ड श्वार्जेनेगर ने राज्य में 15 अरब डॉलर के बजट घाटे को देखते हुए 22 हज़ार सरकारी कर्मचारियों की छंटनी कर दी है और अन्य लगभग दो लाख कर्मचारियों के वेतन में कटौती की जा रही है. लॉस एंजेलेस से राजेश मीरचंदानी की रिपोर्ट...

रिपोर्ट सुनिए

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apologised to state workers as he signed the order that will leave more than 20,000 jobless and ten times that number with lower wages. The move will save $100 million a month. Yet California faces a budget deficit of $15 billion.

Arnold Schwarzenegger:
"Our state faces a looming cash crisis. This situation leaves me with no easy choices, choices, only choices with consequences, consequences that will have a direct impact on California families. And so I have a responsibility to make sure that our state has enough money to pay its bills."

The main problem is that some six weeks after California's new fiscal year began, state legislators have failed to agree a budget, which means California, with one of the largest economies in the world, has no way to pay for contractors, for many of the services it provides and, crucially, no plans for how to make up that huge budget shortfall. The Governor's move is designed to put pressure on politicians to resolve the crisis.

In fact some 30 American states face budget deficits, caused by rising costs and falling revenues in a slumping economy. But California's is by far the largest.

Rajesh Mirchandani, BBC

आवाज़ सुनिए

faces a budget deficit
बजट घाटे का सामना

faces a looming cash crisis
नक़द राशि की कमी का सामना करने की तैयारी

fiscal year
वित्तीय वर्ष

crucially
महत्वपूर्ण

make up that huge budget shortfall
बजट घाटे को पूरा करने की तैयारी

move
क़दम, उपाय

put pressure on
दबाव डालना

to resolve the crisis
संकट को सुलझाने के प्रयास

rising costs and falling revenues
बढ़ती क़ीमतें और कम होता राजस्व

a slumping economy
अर्थव्यवस्था में गिरावट