Arunachal Deputy CM Chowna Mein presents Rs 731.40 crore deficit Budget (2020-21)

Arunachal Deputy CM Chowna Mein presents Rs 731.40 crore deficit Budget (2020-21)

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday presented a Rs 731.40 crore deficit Budget (2020-21) with major thrust on agriculture and allied sectors, health, women empowerment, and infrastructure development.

Mein, who also holds the Planning and Finance portfolio in his hour-long Budget speech informed that the fiscal deficit (2.44 percent of Gross State Domestic Product) is within the 3.25 percent of GSDP for fiscal deficit targets as per the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act.

He said the estimated GSDP for 2020-21 as per the interim report of the 15th Finance Commission is pegged at Rs 29,974 crore.

“The tertiary sector remained the dominant contributor to the economy and therefore, there is a need for more investment in the primary sector,” Mein said.

He said the government in the budget estimates of 2020-21, is projecting revenue receipts of Rs 20,594.59 crore and capital receipts of Rs 1,385.71 crore making total receipts of Rs 21,980.30 crore as against the total receipts of Rs 18,726.24 crore in revised estimates of 2019-20.

“Our share of Central taxes has been pegged at a level of Rs 13,801.59 crore as per the Union Budget which, is the highest resource for us. We have projected the State’s own tax revenue at a level of Rs 1316 crore. The nontax revenue projection for 2020-21 has been pegged at Rs 600 crore. Our estimated state’s own revenue generation is Rs 1,916 crore during the year 2020-21,” the finance minister said.

He added that in the Budget estimates, the government is projecting revenue expenditure of Rs 14,213.90 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 12,972.21 crore in 2019-20 and projecting capital expenditure including loan components of Rs 7,666.48 crore for the year 2020-21 as against revised estimates of Rs 4,945.39 crore in 2019-20.

“The focus of the government will be on increasing capital expenditure to create assets in the state for overall development,” Mein added.

The Finance Minister informed that the government’s aim is to create a budget that is aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the country in 2015.

“We aim to efficiently use our resources so that the performances of our State improve in achieving the targets set under each of the SDG,” Mein said.

Elaborating on the budget highlights, the minister informed that the government has set three goals for development of agriculture and allied sectors – intensive agriculture for achieving high growth by raising productivity; horizontal and vertical expansion of cropping system by focusing on small & marginal farmers and women besides sustainability of agriculture with crop diversification including livestock and fishery development.

“A provision of Rs 30 crore has been kept for doubling farmer's income by 2022 besides focus to key cash crops and support cluster base intensive agriculture and horticulture activities. Moreover, the Chief Minister Krishi Puraskar Yojana has been planned to promote progressive farmers in the state so that they act as a role model to other farmers.

In the health sector, Mein said, the government had set a goal to attain the highest possible level of health and well being for the people through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies and universal access to good quality health services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence.

“We aim to achieve this by increasing access, improving quality and lowering the coast of healthcare delivery,” the minister disclosed.

While Chief Minister’s Arogyaa Arunachal Yojana (CMAAY) to be continued, CM chemotherapy scheme and renal care unit would also continue, he said adding, cancer screening facilities at Papum Pare, East Siang, and Tirap districts would be made available on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Referring to the empowerment of women, development of children and curbing drug abuse in the state, Mein informed that budgetary provisions have been made for Chief Minister Vidya Scheme, health and hygiene scheme for girl students, reservation of 33 percent for women in all skill development programs, creche facilities in all state directorates and Dulari Kanya scheme among other.

“For the welfare of children the government this year introduced for the first time Child Budget for welfare activities of children,” the minister added.

Mein informed that under the social security scheme, the government has proposed in the budget an amount of Rs 4 crore as grants-in-aid to the Puroik Welfare Board for the upliftment of the Puroik (Bonded labor) community.

“An amount of 35 crores has been allocated under non-BADP program for those constituencies not having border blocks. Rs 2.35 crore as grant-in-aid to Eklavya Model residential School, Rs 40 crore for establishment of Tribal Research Institute and Rs 4.5 crore for establishment of tribal cultural centers in all districts of the state,” Mein said.

The Finance Minister in his speech informed that adequate budgetary provision has been made for skill development, industrial growth and employment generation besides improvement in the education sector, sports and youth affairs, tourism sector, resilient infrastructure and perspective planning, and urban infrastructure.

“The Budget has also provisions for continuation of Arunachal Pradesh Pension scheme for journalists, innovation in branding promotion, Arunachal Rising Campaign and Arunachal Literature Festival,” he added.

The Finance Minister informed that the government placed emphasis on ensuring law and order in the state through strengthening the police in terms of resources and making efforts towards the active participation of all stakeholders in maintaining communal harmony.

“A number of Rs 15 crore has been earmarked in the budget for modernization of police force, Rs 2.5 crore for constituting anti-narcotics task force, Rs 1 crore for cybercrime cell, Rs 10 crore for up-gradation of new judicial infrastructure and Rs 10 crore for construction of high court building,” Mein informed.

The finance minister in his speech disclosed that the government would constitute a committee to examine the feasibility of reviving the Stilwell Road connecting Arunachal Pradesh with Myanmar through Nampong as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy and submit a report to the Centre.

Mein also separately presented the Gender Budget, the statement on Urban Local Bodies Budget and Child Budget.

Later he introduced the Arunachal Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill before Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona adjourned the house for the day.

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