Deficit-free Tripura Budget tabled, new pension plan on anvil

Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma today presented a deficit-free Budget of Rs 16,387.21 crore for the 2018-19 fiscal.

The Budget outlay for the current fiscal has seen an increase of around 14 per cent.

Cess on petrol (Rs 1.15), diesel (Rs 1.13) and PNG (Rs 4.4 per month) has been proposed for road development of the state, he said on the first day of the Budget Session of the Assembly.

Dev Varma, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the state government is committed to provide the 7th Central Pay Commission to government employees.

"An estimated outlay - Rs 1,000 crore has been provisioned in the Budget so that the government could offer the 7th CPC to the 2 lakh government employees and pensioners, once the PP Verma Committee submitted its report," he said.

 

The deputy chief minister also announced that the Tripura government wants to implement a new pension policy for those who join government service from July 1, 2018.

"The move to introduce new pension for new comers is aimed to reduce state's burden on pension head. We can't blame the Centre for not generating revenue by ourselves," he pointed out.

He said the first Budget of the BJP-IPFT government in Tripura is designed to boost growth of infrastructure and industry, and development of the crucial health and education sectors.

Among other announcements, he said four new B-Ed colleges would be set up in the state to provide pre-service training to teachers, and the Tripura Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board would be constituted to boost industrialisation.

"From now on, an entrepreneur will be able to get all necessary clearances for setting up industrial units through a single window system," the minister said.

Another new scheme, the 'Mukhyamantri Pratibhasali Puruskar', is set to roll out to encourage meritorious and talented youths in the field of education, sports and culture, he said.

Later, speaking to the media, Dev Varma said, "We have to increase our revenue generation and that's why tax is proposed to be imposed on petrol, diesel and PNG.