No new taxes in Tripura budget, deficit at Rs 189 cr

No new taxes were proposed in Tripura's budget for 2016-17 presented by state Finance Minister Tapan Chakraborty today.
The total revenue receipt of the state was pegged at Rs 15,057.98 crore and total expenditure at Rs 15,246.52 crore, leaving a deficit of Rs 188.54 crore.
Chakraborty said the deficit would be recovered by improving tax collections and taking austerity measures in government expenditure.
In his budget speech, the minister said the state has 8,132 localities, of which 6,995 were connected to all-weather roads.
He said the state capital had been put on the broad-gauge rail map of the country recently and it was expected that from next month, super-fast trains would connect the state with the rest of the country.

The state government has handed over 75.726 acres of land to the Airport Authority of India for upgradation of the Agartala airport.

Tripura is going to be the third international internet gateway of the country after Mumbai and Chennai as Bangladesh will extend 10 gigabit bandwith through the Bay of Bengal at Cox's Bazar in the neighbouring country, the minister said.
Chakraborty said the state will improve its power production and has completed construction of 400 kv transmission line from Suryamaninagar here to South Comilla in Bangladesh for transportation of 100 MW power from Tripura.
He said the state has improved its healthcare system, drinking water supply and created infrastructure in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council Area (TTAADC).

The area is home to tribals who constitute one-third of the state's population.