Arunachal Deputy CM Chowna Mein presents Rs 578.80 crore fiscal deficit budget for 2021-22

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday presented the Rs 578.50 crore fiscal deficit budget for the year 2021-22, with major thrust on education, health and other social and economical sectors.

In his budget speech, Mein, who also holds the finance, planning and investment portfolios, informed that the State showed exemplary resilience by adopting efficient and professional management of its finances.

The government has kept a provision of Rs 180 crore for catering to cabinet committee on infrastructure (CCI) projects and increased allocation to centrally sponsored schemes by around Rs 1000 crore.

"In the Budget Estimates of 2021-22, we are projecting revenue receipts of Rs 21,090.87 crore and capital receipts of Rs 1,490.13 crore making total receipts of Rs 22,581 crore as against the total receipts of Rs 22,000 crore in Revised Estimates of 2020-21," he disclosed.

"Our share of central taxes has been pegged at Rs 11,693.94 crore as per union Budget Estimates for 2021-22 which is the highest source of resource for the state. We have projected State's own tax revenue at Rs 1,900 crore and the non-tax revenue for 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 850 crore and thus our estimated State's own revenue generation is Rs 2,750 crore during 2021-22," Mein said.

He added that in the Budget Estimates this year, the government is projecting revenue expenditure of Rs 15, 344.32 crore for the year 2021-22 as against the revised estimates of Rs 14,402.84 crore in 2020-21.

Moreover, he said, the capital expenditure including loan components in the budget is estimated at Rs 6,968.68 crore as against revised estimates of Rs 6,770.55 crore in 2020-21 which is approximately three percent increase over last year. "The focus of the government will be on increasing capital expenditure to create assets in the state for overall development," he added.

Mein said that this year budget is guided by six strategic pillars provided by the Union Budget which include Health and Wellbeing; Reinvigorating Human Capital; Inclusive Development for Aspirational Arunachal; Physical & Financial Capital and Infrastructure; Minimum Government and Maximum Governance and Innovation and R&D.

"In the budget, we have tried to provide necessary policy guidance and resource allocation for various areas which would ensure realization of desired outcomes against each of above six pillars," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He added that an attempt has been made in the budget to address the unfinished agenda of last year and also to address the future aspiration.

"Synergy and Convergence will be our guiding principle while designing, planning, and implementing state and central schemes. As a strategy, we will bring convergence between state government schemes, Fifteenth Finance Commission grants and central sector and centrally sponsored schemes coupled with inter-departmental coordination. We shall try to ensure that this budget becomes outcome oriented rather than expenditure oriented," Mein said.

"Out attempt will be on equitable distribution of resources on need basis and focus on augmenting State's own resources besides formulating government reforms on ease of doing business, ease of living and reducing compliance burden," the Deputy Chief Minister added. Mein added that the government this year has taken up a mission to achieve Rs 5000 crore funds from the Centre under various centrally sponsored schemes (CSS).

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