HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, March 16: Finance minister Ajanta Neog on Thursday presented a Rs 3.21 lakh crore state budget for the 2023 fiscal with a focus on employment generation.
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The budget projects a deficit of Rs 935.23 crore by the end of the 2023-24 fiscal.
In her budget speech, the minister announced funds for promoting micro-entrepreneurship and fresh recruitments in different departments.
Presenting the budget in the assembly, Neog said the government will invest Rs 5,000 crore to “transform” over 2 lakh unemployed youths into job creators.
“After adding the receipt of Rs 1,80,298.83 crore under the public account and Rs 2,000 crore under contingency fund, the aggregate receipts amount to Rs 3,21,742.71 crore.
“Taking into account the expenditure of Rs 1,79,326.48 crore under the public account and Rs 2,000 crore under contingency fund, the aggregate expenditure for the year is estimated at Rs 3,21,081.75 crore,” she said in her budget speech.
Thus, the estimated transactions during the year will result in an estimated surplus of Rs 660.96 crore, Neog said.
“This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 1,596.19 crore will lead to a budget deficit of Rs 935.23 crore at the end of the year 2023-24,” she added.
Neog said the GSDP is estimated to grow to Rs 5.5 lakh crore during the next financial year from Rs 3.93 lakh crore in 2021-22.
The finance minister proposed the exemption of electricity duty on renewable energy generation. “Further, I propose the extension of the tax holiday on agricultural income tax for the next three years.”
Neog said that with the completion of two years of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government on May 10, 40,000 youths will be recruited in various departments by that date – a step towards fulfilling the BJP’s poll promise of giving one lakh government jobs.
“Our government already provided employment to about 42,000 youths across various departments… The remaining 18,000 are at various stages of recruitment, and this will also be completed very soon,” she added.
To promote micro-entrepreneurs, the government will spend Rs 5,000 crore over the next three years to “transform” over 2 lakh youths into job creators. A total of Rs 1,000 crore was allocated for FY’24, the budget proposals stated.
SOPS FOR TEA SECTOR/WORKERS: As Assam celebrated 200 years of first tea plantation being set up in the state, the state government on Thursday announced increased production subsidy for orthodox and specialty teas, and waiver of past electricity dues of tea garden workers living on ‘coolie lines’.
It also said that the tea garden and adivasi community will be recognised as a separate sub-category within the Other Backward Classes (OBC), and that the government will focus on improving infrastructure in workers’ colonies.
The finance minister, while making the announcements as part of Assam’s annual budget, also said the government will celebrate the completion of 200 years of Assam Tea in a grand manner.
Road shows in major cities across the country as well as abroad to promote Assam Tea as a brand and showcase the rich socio-cultural heritage of tea garden communities has been proposed, she said.
Neog said the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), 2020, will be further strengthened to incentivise the production of orthodox tea and specialty tea in Assam.
“As promised, an increase in the production subsidy for orthodox and specialty tea from Rs 7 to Rs 10 per kg is already under process. However, celebrating the 200 years of Assam Tea, I am pleased to announce that for the current year of 2023-24 only, an enhanced production subsidy of Rs 12 per kg will be extended,” she said, earmarking Rs 100 crore for the scheme.
The finance minister also proposed extension of tax holiday on Agricultural Income Tax for a period of next three years.
Neog said emphasis will be given on infrastructure development of tea garden labour lines, especially on development of roads.
“This year, as a special relief, all the arrear on electricity dues of tea garden worker families living in the lines will be waived off as a one-time measure by the government. I will earmark Rs 150 crore for the same,” she said.
Neog also said that tea garden and Adivasi community will be recognised as a separate sub-category within Other Backward Classes (OBC) and around 3 percent reservation in government jobs, within the OBC quota, will be considered for them, subject to fulfilling legal stipulations.
She also said compensation for pregnant women among tea garden workers will be increased to Rs 15,000 from existing Rs 12,000, Rs 200 crore has been kept for construction of 500 Mahaprabhu Jagannath Community Hall cum Skill Centres in tea gardens and 10,000 houses will be constructed in Tea Garden labour lines under Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana.
She also allocated Rs 100 crore for supporting Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) against the payment of outstanding liabilities of interest on Provident Fund.
She said the government plans to take up different priority schemes like the Small Tea Garden Workers’ Social Security Scheme to provide financial assistance to small tea garden workers undergoing medical treatment.
The minister also said as part of a thrust on tea tourism, some 50 tea gardens have already been selected by the tourism department to provide capital infrastructure support.
Two high-end Tea Tourism resorts will also be set up in Kaziranga, she added.
Neog said the Assam Chah Janagusthiya Samannay Kalakshetra scheme, taken up in 2021-22 to construct a self-sustaining multi faceted socio-cultural centre, will be located near Kaziranga at Hatikhuli Bagicha Gaon in Golaghat.
She also said a one-time cash grant of Rs 25,000 each to self-employed entrepreneurs belonging to Tea Tribes Communities under the Swahid Dayal Das Panika Swaniyojon Achoni has been proposed and Rs 429.38 crore earmarked for it. (With inputs from PTI)
