Deficit-free Rs 16,387 crore budget presented in Tripura | Photo from Twitter: Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma (standing) and CM Biplab Kumar Deb (right)

A deficit-free budget was presented in Tripura for the 2018-19 fiscal.

Tripura deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma on Tuesday presented the deficit-free budget of Rs 16,387.21 crore.

Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma said that the deficit-free budget which his government's first was intended to make the state "self-reliant".

The outlay of the budget for the current fiscal year has witnessed an increase of around 14 per cent cent.

Tabling the budget on the first day of the assembly session, Dev Varma, who holds the Finance portfolio, said that there is no deficit in the budget. The cess has been proposed for road development in the state.

The new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led alliance government levied cess on turnover at the rate of two per cent on the three fuels.

"Four Cardiac Care units will be established in Unakoti, Gomati, Dhalai and south Tripura districts. '102' 24*7 patient transportation service shall be introduced with GPS fitted basic life support (BLS). '104' has been proposed as 24*7 citizen health helpline." - Dev Varma | Photo from Twitter

"With the increase of sales tax and imposition of cess, the state government is expecting to earn Rs 40.84 crore per year. The earning from the proposed new cess would be utilised for road development in the state," he said.

The first budget of the BJP government also marginally increased road tax, except for three wheelers and electric vehicles.

'Surakshit Tripura' under Tripiura budget 2018 | Photo: Twitter/Biplab Kumar Deb

In the budget which has a 14.62 per cent increase over the revised estimates of last fiscal (2017-18), Dev Varma announced eight new schemes while widening scope of many ongoing schemes and projects.

In the Tripura deputy CM's over two-hour-long budget speech, he proposed to constitute the "Tripura Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board" for raising funds from private sector for taking up large infrastructure projects.

North-East India under Tripura budget 2018 | Photo: Twitter/Biplab Kumar Deb

Dev Varma said that the first budget of the BJP-IPFT government in Tripura is planned to boost infrastructure and industry, and development of the crucial health and education sectors.

7TH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION SCALES TO GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

Dev Varma said that the state government is committed to provide the 7th Central Pay Commission scales to government employees.

Briefing media after the budget presentation, principal secretary, finance, M Nagaraju said that a lump-sum amount of Rs 1,000 crore has been earmarked in the budget to implement the recommendation of the 7th Central Pay Commission (7th CPC) for Tripura government employees.

An estimated outlay of Rs 1,000 crore has been provisioned in the budget so that the government could offer the 7th CPC pay to the two lakh government employees and pensioners once the PP Verma Committee submitted its report, Dev Varma said.

The deputy chief minister also announced that the Tripura government wants to implement a new pension policy for those who will join government service from July 1, 2018.

The move to introduce new pension for newcomers is aimed at reducing the state's burden on pension head, he said.

As per the pre-poll promise of the BJP, the government in March has constituted a three-member expert committee headed by former Assam Chief Secretary PP Varma to implement the much demanded 7th CPC proposals in the state for over 2.15 lakh government employees and pensioners.

Dev Varma said that Rs 300 crore has been allocated to implement the 33 social security pension schemes benefiting 4.22 lakh people that been launched by the previous Left Front government.

"The BJP government would launch new pension schemes for the new state government employees who would join in the government service from July this year. The state government has decided to distribute free smartphones to college students studying under-graduate degree in the government degree colleges," he announced.

BUDGET TO MAKE TRIPURA SELF-RELIANT: CM

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that the deficit-free budget was intended to make the state "self-reliant".

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing financial aid to Tripura, CM Deb told the media on Tuesday night that the previous Left Front government always presented deficit budgets.

'Transforming Tripura' under Tripura budget 2018 | Photo: Twitter/Biplab Kumar Deb

"Covering the previous Left Front government's budget deficit, our Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma today (Tuesday) tabled a budget in the house considering the interests of all section of people including tribals, scheduled caste, other backward community, youths, women and others," he said.

Deb said that the PM and Finance Minister helped the state by providing additional fund to implement the recommendation of the 7th Central Pay Commission for the Tripura government employees and pensioners.

"The budget also allocated funds for upgradation of academic infrastructure. The previous Left Front government never wanted to make Tripura economically self-determining," said Deb, adding that the BJP-led alliance government would fulfill the Prime Minister's promise to bring HIRA (Highway, Internet, Road, Airway) in Tripura.

'Digital Tripura' under Tripura budget 2018 | Photo: Twitter/Biplab Kumar Deb

OTHER THINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

In the deficit-free budget, Dev Varma also said that "Distress Paras" (distress habitat) would be identified in the interior and tribal areas to provide free ration to the people living there.

'Transforming Tripura' under Tripura budget 2018 | Photo: Twitter/Biplab Kumar Deb

Among other announcements, Dev Varma said that four new B.Ed colleges would be set up to provide pre-service training to teachers, and Tripura Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board would be constituted to boost industrialisation.

Meanwhile, Speaker Rebati Mohan Das announced that election of the new Deputy Speaker would be held on Thursday.

According to assembly sources, Congress-turned-BJP legislator Biswabandhu Sen is likely to be chosen for the post unopposed.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)