Meghalaya Assembly passes deficit budget

Meghalaya Assembly today passed the Rs 13,048 crore annual budget for the year 2017-18 presented by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
The budget has a deficit of Rs 1,236 crore, which is around 3.8 per cent of the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), and total receipt of Rs 12,510 crore.
Sangma, who holds the finance portfolio, announced that the budget has done away with Plan and Non-Plan expenditure to synchronise with the budgetary framework of the Union Government.
In his budget speech, the chief minister spelt out how his government was mopping up additional resources by revising VAT and excise duty on liquor and increasing tax on transportation, cigarettes and bidis.

Sangma pledged a development plan outlay of Rs 1731.57 crore for rural development, Rs 909.94 crore for education, Rs 712.8 crore for road and bridges and Rs 420.93 crore for health and family welfare.