Chowna Mein Presents 520.98-Crore Deficit Budget In Arunachal Assembly

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Monday presented a Rs 520.98 crore deficit budget for the year 2019-20 in the state assembly, with major thrust on agriculture and allied sectors in order to double farmers’ income by 2022, in tune with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additional import duty on all alcoholic beverages has been proposed in the budget by increasing the rate of import duty from existing Rs 100 to Rs 150 per case of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), Beer and wine.

The first budget of the Pema Khandu-led BJP government in the state which, came into power for the second consecutive terms also encompassed several innovative schemes including the new concept of bringing a blue revolution in the state with proposal for a new programme – Mukhya Mantri Neel Kranti Abhiyan – to enhance production and productivity of table fish and fish seed.

Highlights

* To benefit 90,000 farmers by 2022.

* Import duty on alcoholic beverages.

* 200 bedded hospital in state capital.

* Strong and well functioning ambulance network.

* Tele-medicine service to be introduced.

* Construction of working women hostel cum destitute home in state capital.

* Creche facility in civil secretariat for working mothers.

* Income generation opportunity for members of Puroik community.

* Creation of regular posts for regularizing SSA and RMSA teachers under Integrated Scheme for School Education (ISSE).

* Pension scheme for journalists.

* Grants in aids for Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) and Arunachal Pradesh Women Welfare Society (APWWS).

* Ten crore corpus fund for community based organisations (CBOs).

* Construction of helipad at Vijaynagar in Changlang district.

* Laptops to meritorious.

* Health cards for government school students.

* Cyber crime cell in police department.

In his budget speech, Mein who, also holds the finance portfolio, informed that under the Mukhya Mantri Neel Kranti Abhiyan, the state government is planning to develop new ponds and tanks for exclusive aquaculture, revamp water logged areas, rejuvenate existing ponds, upgrade and remodel existing hatcheries, create nurseries and rearing space for seed rearing and develop backyard ornamental fish farms.

The finance minister informed that the deficit amount of Rs 520.98 crore which is 1.85 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and is within the three per cent of GSDP for fiscal deficit targets as per the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act.

“In the budget estimates of 2019-20, the government is projecting revenue expenditure of Rs 13,406.78 crore as against revised estimate of Rs 13,483.45 crore n 2018-19. We are projecting capital expenditures including loan components of Rs 8,602.19 crore for the year 2019-20 as against revised estimates of Rs 7,821.64 crore in 2018-19,” Chowna Mein said adding, the focus of the government would be on realistic increases in capital expenditures to create assets in the State.

The Finance Minister in his budget also proposed to bring in seven lakh hectares of additional land under micro irrigation with an estimated cost of Rs 17, 712 crore for wet rice cultivation.

“Under the Chief Minister’s Sashkat Yojana, various horticulture crops will be covered and accordingly a fund provision of Rs 95.70 crore has been earmarked in the budget,” Chowna Mein said.

He said, to strengthen agriculture marketing linkages for the farmer, the government has proposed to set up markets in the state which are to be linked with e-NAM (National Agricultural Market) facilities so that the produces could be auctioned online.

“The government also proposed to set up R&D centre for kiwi at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district and oranges at Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district. Moreover, proposal has been made for construction of State Horticulture Research and Development Institute (SHRDI) and Bio-Resource Mission in the current year,” the minister informed.

Mein added that a new scheme – Chief minister’s Paryatan Vokas Yojana (CMPVY) with an allocation of Rs 5 crore for 100 beneficiaries is proposed to be introduce from the current financial year with a view to augment the tourism trade in the state by giving financial assistance by way of subsidy for home stays.

“Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), we have a commitment to provide housing for all population living below poverty line by 2022. The state has a target to cover 11,221 beneficiaries under the scheme out of which 1265 beneficiaries have been covered till now,” the finance minister added.

The budget also focussed on gender empowerment, development of children, social justice and inclusive development, skill development and employment generation, water security, affordable and clean energy besides governance and policy reforms.

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