State gets Rs 566 crore deficit budget

GUWAHATI: Ajanta Neog on Friday scripted history by presenting her maiden state budget being first woman finance minister of the state.

She presented a Rs 566 crore deficit budget for 2021-22 in the assembly, without proposing any new tax on the public.

This is the first budget of the Himanta Biswa Sarma- led government.

While tabling budgetary proposals, Ajanta Neog said that she is following the footsteps of her predecessor who had decided not to tax the public in his budgets.

Sarma was the finance minister in the previous Sarbananda Sonowal government.

“I too, with the aim of continuing this trend, would like to hereby place my budget without levying any extra tax on the public,” she said while presenting her budget in the state assembly.

During the last fiscal, the Tax Department’s collection declined to Rs 14,645 crore from Rs 14,967 crore in the previous financial year due to “economic slowdown” on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, Neog said.

Presenting the Budget estimates, she said the aggregate income has been calculated to be Rs 2,89,770.68 crore for 2021-22, while the total expenditure for the fiscal is estimated at Rs 2,89,367.10 crore.

“Thus, estimated transactions during the year will result in an estimated surplus of Rs 403.58 crore. This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 969.78 crore will lead to a budget deficit of Rs 566.20 crore at the end of the year 2021-22,” she added.

According to the budget proposals, 1000 model Anganwadi Centre with facility of child care will be set up. In order to make the Anganwadi Centres effective, facilities like proper running water, sufficient light and fan will be put in place.

She also announced a proposal to start an affordable nutrition and nourishment assistance (ANNA) Yojana and Anna Nischito Asoni.

“People left out from the National Food Security Act, 2013 in the urban areas like destitute/homeless who live by begging or those who are of an unsound mind, living in the slum areas on the road-sides we will provide free cooked meals with the help of reputed NGOs,” she announced.

In order to improve living conditions tea garden labourers, the government will provide Functioning Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to all households living in the tea gardens of the state. This scheme will cover 805 tea gardens across Assam within a year.

In the budget proposal, Neog announced constitution of an Agriculture Commission under a scientist of international repute to focus on issues related to agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy sector in Assam.

The Commission will study and suggest measures for achieving self-sufficiency in the field of agriculture production, milk, egg and pork production, identify constraints and devise a road map to achieve the goal in five years.

To provide livelihood options to indigenous youth living in that area, encompassing not only modern agriculture practices but also scientific animal rearing practices. One such experiment was at Garukhuti under Sipajhar Block in Darrang district.

SUNIL BIPLAB: To encourage the community based fish culture, the budget proposed to construct village community tanks in all revenue villages of Assam.

Department of indigenous faith and culture: The budget proposed to create a new Department, – Department of Indigenous Faith and Culture – for preservation and propagation of the unique languages and cultures, religious customs and rituals, attires, food habits, folk beliefs and traditions of the indigenous communities and ethnic groups of the state.

Expeditious implementation of special capital projects:  In order to further expedite the administrative process and to do away with redundancy in the system, the government has decided to do away with the ceiling process for certain scheme of utmost priority. These schemes will be regarded as State Priority Projects with faster implementation modalities, with greater devolution of administrative and financial powers directly to the implementing agencies.

Special assistance to small traders and artisans: Covid-affected cottage industries, small traders and artisans will be given one time grant will be given to overcome the disruption due to global pandemic.

Smart phone for students of class ix and x in government schools: To minimize the learning loss and bridge the digital divide, the Budget proposed to provide mobile devices to the students of class IX & X which will mitigate learning losses in respect of these under privileged students. This scheme will benefit almost 8 lakhs students of class IX & X.

1000 health sub-centres will be converted to hospitals: 1,000 sub centers/HWCs will be converted to Buniyadi Swasthya Kendra (BSK) where free medical consultation, diagnostics test/ medical treatment of primary diseases including diabetes, hypertension, asthma, communicable diseases shall be provided.