ITANAGAR, March 22 - Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul today presented a Rs 367.58-crore deficit Budget for the financial year 2016-17 without levying any new taxes or announcing any concessions for the common man.
Presenting his maiden Budget as the Minister in-charge of Finance of the People�s Party of Arunachal (PPA) government, Pul said that the total revenue receipts have been estimated at Rs 12,805 crore and total revenue expenditure estimated at Rs 13,172.58 crore.
Giving an overall picture of the Budget Estimates of 2016-17, he said the State�s own tax revenue has been estimated at Rs 670.66 crore, which is about 20% higher than the Revised Estimates (RE) of 2015-16, while the non-tax revenue has been projected at Rs 528.90 crore, which is about 7.4% higher than RE of previous year, projecting internal resource generation at Rs 1,199.56 crore.
Pointing out that the share in Central taxes as recommended by the 14th Finance Commission (FFC) for 2016-17 was Rs 9,157.4 crore, he said that the Government of India has projected Rs 7,868.9 crore in the Union Budget 2016-17 for Arunachal Pradesh, which is Rs 1,288.5 crore less than what was recommended by the FFC. He added that his government shall make all efforts to obtain this balance amount from the Government of India.
Pul said that the annual Plan size of the State for the financial year 2016-17 has been pegged at Rs 6,569 crore, which is 14% more than the Plan size allocation of last financial year.
�With the objective of achieving accelerated, innovative and inclusive growth, our government will ensure that every penny of public fund is utilized in the best public interest of the people of Arunachal.
�Our government, through this Budget, aims to identify and remove the bottlenecks in development and growth process, prioritize critical infrastructural projects and bring about radical improvement in human development index of the State.
�We will strive for achieving an inclusive and a balanced growth process so as to ensure that the benefits of development percolate down to the lowest strata of society,� Pul said in his Budget speech.
He said this Budget is laying emphasis on critical infrastructural and social initiatives in important sectors, like health, education, police, roads, power, cleanliness, agriculture, horticulture, tourism and industry.
While highlighting the various developmental initiatives, he said that the government proposed allocation of Rs 973.97 crore to develop the health sector and Rs 1,985.98 crore for the education sector.
Pul said that the government proposed to provide stipend of Rs 1,400 per month to students pursuing BSc (Nursing), ANM and GNM courses, besides enhancing annual book grant of Rs 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 for BSc nursing, GNM and ANM students, respectively.
Besides proposing to establish �Arunachal Red Cross Society� under the direct control of the Chief Secretary to tackle the drug menace in the State, Pul said the government proposed to set up drug de-addiction centres in Pasighat, Tezu, Hayuliang, Khonsa, Changlang and Longding with budgetary provision of Rs 16 crore.
