AGARTALA, Feb 16 - The Budget session of Tripura Assembly is all set to commence with Governor Tathagata Roy�s address on February 17, sources said. Finance Minister Bhanu Lal Saha would table the budget for 2017-18 FY on February 20 amidst severe financial constraints faced by the government. No major Bill would be tabled during the session but the Finance Minister may declare formation of a Pay Review Panel in his budget speech.
This is for the first time, a budget would be tabled in the Assembly in absence of Planning Commission which means the State has already lost a huge outlay of Rs 2500 crore. Now, it is to be seen whether the Finance Minister presents a populist budget just a year before the State goes to Assembly elections.
Talking to the media, Saha said the State has been facing tough time after scrapping of the Planning Commission. Besides, fund flow to the State has also been reduced under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The budget session is likely to be stormy because Trinamool Congress has decided to pile heat on the treasury bench on the chit fund issue. The Congress which has only three MLAs is still undecided over the strategy for the upcoming session.
