GUWAHATI, March 12 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi described the 2012-2013 budget he had presented this morning in the State Assembly as a pro-development and pro-education one. The budget is presented basing on the plan allocations being received from the Centre, he told the newsmen coming out of the Assembly after presenting the financial document.
The Chief Minister also defended his budget as a tax free one. Tax collection in the State has improved and investments of the State in its own schemes have also increased, he said.
On the other hand, per capita debt burden of the State has gone down he said, displaying the hope that the State Government would be able to get the sum it has earmarked for its Plan expenses for the next financial year from the Planning Commission.
The State has proposed a Plan outlay of Rs 10,203.48 crore, including Rs 2565.86 crore from State�s own resources. This is an increase of 13 per cent over the Plan outlay of Rs 9,000 crore of 2011-12, the Chief Minister said in his budget speech.
The Chief Minister had said in his budget speech that due to elections to a few states, Assam�s 2012-13 Annual Plan discussions have not yet taken place and hence the Plan size is yet to be finalized.
An Indian Institute of Management has also been proposed by the Chief Minister in his budget through public-private partnership. This will be a new IIM, he said.
The budget has also laid stress on skill development and allocated an amount of Rs 3,000 crore for employment generation during the next five years, he said.
The Chief Minister also apprised the newspersons that the detailed feasibility study of the metro/monorail system in Guwahati city, which has been proposed by him for providing an efficient public transport system in the city, would be taken up in the next financial year.
He further claimed that the budget has laid stress on providing support to the erosion-hit people.
