AGARTALA, July 7 (PTI): The Tripura Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes as opposition members protested and walked out twice following the Speaker’s decision to suspend five MLAs and deny a discussion on a ruling BJP MLA allegedly watching a pornographic clip during the previous session. Amidst the commotion, finance minister Pranajit Singha Roy presented a deficit budget of Rs 27,654 crore for the current fiscal, proposing no new tax measures.
The uproar began when Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen suspended five opposition MLAs for the day after they protested in the well of the House. This prompted the opposition members to stage a walkout. However, the suspension order was later withdrawn upon the request of chief minister Manik Saha.
The five MLAs, including CPI(M) legislator Nayan Sarkar, Congress member Sudip Roy Barman, and three Tipra Motha MLAs – Brishaketu Debbarma, Nandita Reang, and Ranjit Debbarma – returned to the House but insisted on taking action against the ruling party MLA for his alleged misconduct. When the Speaker refused, the opposition walked out of the House for the second time.
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Meanwhile, finance minister Pranajit Singha Roy presented the deficit budget during the first day of the Monsoon session. He projected a likely 8% growth for the state’s economy. The capital expenditure was set at Rs 5,358.70 crore, marking a 22.28% increase from the previous year. The budget estimated a deficit of Rs 611.30 crore.
As part of new schemes, the minister proposed the introduction of the CM Jan Arogya Yojana-2023, a health insurance plan modeled after the Ayushman Bharat scheme. This initiative aims to cover 4.75 lakh families who are not included in Ayushman Bharat, providing insurance benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh per annum per family. State government employees will also be covered, with an annual expenditure of approximately Rs 589 crore.
Additionally, the budget included the Mukyamantri Konya Atmanirbhor Yojana, aiming to motivate 100 girl toppers of class 12 by providing them with free scooters to support their higher education aspirations.
In terms of infrastructure development, the minister proposed a tourism and cultural promotion hub at Gandhighat in Agartala, estimated at a cost of Rs 35 crore under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS). Furthermore, the government highlighted plans for massive infrastructure development in six districts with an investment of Rs 1,200 crore, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
While the suspension of MLAs and the subsequent walkouts temporarily disrupted the assembly proceedings, the presentation of the deficit budget and the introduction of new schemes reflect the government’s commitment to addressing the state’s economic growth and prioritizing key sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure.
