Rs 22,724 crore tax-free deficit Budget presented in Tripura

Agartala: Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma on Friday presented a Rs 22,724.50 crore tax-free Budget for 2021-22, containing several new plans including for 'Atmanirbhar state', for agriculture and farmers, children and students besides for rural areas.

The fourth budget of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government shows a Rs 773.43 crore defit against Rs 511.41 crore deficit of current year (2020-21).

Tabling the Budget on the first day of the weeklong Assembly session, Dev Varma, who holds the Finance portfolio, said no new tax is proposed in the budget and the deficit would be covered by better fiscal management, tax compliance, transparency, austerity besides smart tax collections.

He said that the government in the budget has given thrust in five key sectors - tourism, information technology, agriculture and allied, health and education sectors.

"Emphasis is also given on sustainable development and green technology. More 15,000 hectares areas would be brought under organic farming as against 6,000 hectares existing area. Based on green technology, ten new bio-villages are proposed," he said.

A new scheme, "Chief Minister's Swanirbhar Parivar Yojna" has been proposed for "Atmanirbhar Tripura".

Noting that a National Law University proposed to be set up in Agartala, Dev Varma said several other new schemes and missions including "Rubber Mission" were also to be undertaken in the new financial year.

"Under the Rubber Mission scheme, the state government has planned to take up rubber plantations in new 30,000 hectare areas in the next five years for rapid economic development and proper utilisation of land," he said.

Tripura is the second largest natural rubber producing state in the country after Kerala, currently cultivating natural rubber in 85,500 hectares and producing 62,000 tonne annually.

"Doubling the farmers' income by 2022 was the motto of the present government. The state government has taken up a three-year plan for the purpose," Dev Varma told the house, adding that for dissemination of latest technology in agriculture, 19 'Krishak Bandhu kendras' have been opened under the different agricultural subdivisions.

Later, the Deputy Chief Minister told the media that in spite of difficulties during Covid-19 pandemic, the state government has managed its finances well in such a situation when some state governments have given lesser salaries to their employees and stopped giving dearness allowances and dearness relief, Tripura announced DA to the state government employees and pensioners with effect from March 1.