AGARTALA, Jan 10: Tripura finance minister Pranajit Singha Roy on Wednesday told the assembly that the northeastern state’s financial position is strong, despite its debt burden of Rs 21,687 crore.
In response to opposition leader Animesh Debbarma’s concerns about growing debt, the finance minister said the BJP-IPFT government has borrowed Rs 8,784 crore over the past six years.
Emphasising the state’s prudent fiscal management, he said the government paid Rs 1,573 crore in interest and Rs 918 crore in principal loan repayment during the 2022-23 fiscal.
He also said the government only chooses long-term loans with minimum interest rates to maintain control over the fiscal position.
He said the state did not opt for market borrowings in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic and the release of 10 per cent DA to employees during the current fiscal year, the government has effectively managed its budget, according to Roy.
He highlighted that the state’s own revenue has increased from Rs 1,915 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 3,402 crore in 2022-23. (PTI)
