AGARTALA, Feb 20 - Tripura Finance Minister Bhanu Lal Saha on Monday presented a budget of Rs 15,956.56 crore for the financial year 2017-2018 sigh an uncovered deficit of Rs 198 crores.
According to estimates presented in the budget, the State Government will have receipts amounting to Rs Rs 15,758.56 crore while the expenditure will be Rs 15,956.56 crore, leaving an uncovered gap of Rs 198 crore.
Apparently keeping in mind the next year�s Assembly elections, Saha has set aside Rs 600 crore for giving benefits to employees and pensioners though this may not be at par with the recommendations of 7th Cental Pay Commission.
Although Saha presented an election centric Budget for 2017-18 FY, the proposed budget has given due attention on the social welfare sector.
In his budget speech, the Minister said ration money of TSR personnel, State police, watch and ward, staff of jail, fire service and homeguard has been increased by Rs 100 per month. Monthly honorarium of SPOs has been enhanced by Rs 500 from existing of Rs 5,156 to Rs 5,656.
Subsidy on oil and pulses has been increased by Rs 15 per month which will benefit around seven lakh people.
Saha said all social pension schemes under SW&SE department has also been increased by Rs 100 per month while five new pension schemes would be introduced for folk artistes, carpenters, black smith, potters and harijans belonging to SC community. Each pensioner will receive Rs 700 per month and for this, Rs 3 crore would be spent.
In his last budget before the 2018 Assembly elections, the Finance Minister did not dishearten the MLAs. �The allocation of Bidhayak Elaka Unnayan Prakal (BUUP) has been increased from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. Subsidy under Swabalamban has also been increased from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh�, he said.
Saha said the government has been focusing on quality education at the school level. �There is a proposal to appoint 1,793 under graduate and 1,457 post graduate teachers through TET�, he said.
Later, briefing the media, Saha said that the pay and pension revision would be implemented as early as possible and it would take effect from April 1, 2017.
