• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

Agartala, March 17, 2022 : Tripura’s total budget allocation for Financial Year 2022-23 is Rs 26,893 crore which is an enhancement upto 18.34 percent, as compared to the Budget Estimate of 2021-22 fiscal year; informed the Deputy Chief Minister – Jishnu Dev Varma on Thursday.

After tabling the proposed budget of Rs 26,893 crore on the first day of the Tripura Legislative Assembly here in Agartala, Dev Varma, who is also the minister in-charge of Finance department in a press conference said that the budget deficit is Rs 569.52 crore.

Last year, Tripura government tabled a tax-free budget of Rs 22,724.50 crore for 2021-22 FY with a hike of 118.09 per cent from the previous year budget. The budget has a deficit of Rs 773.43 crore.

He said that the capital expenditure has been doubled to Rs 5,285 crore in Budget Estimates of 2022-23 from Rs 2,651 crore in BE of 2021-22 to make large scale investment in infrastructure. The state’s GSDP is estimated to grow at about 13.28% in FY 2022-23 at constant prices.

In the Education sector of Tripura, Rs 5,026 crore has been allocated i.e. an enhancement of 20.66% in BE 2022-23 over BE 2021-22. In the Health sector, Rs 1,777 crore allocated in BE 2022-23 which is an increase of 23% in BE 2022-23 over BE 2021-22, he added.

Finance minister said “An amount of Rs 1000 crore has been earmarked in BE 2022-23 under ‘Suvarna Jayanti Tripura Nirman Yojana’ for various infrastructure and development projects in the state as a part of celebration of 50 years of Statehood. The projects include- road, Sainik School, National Law University, Mahila Shashaktikaran Abhiyan, Mukhyamantri Cha Shramik Kalyan Prakalpa, Mukhyamantri Tripura Gram Samriddhi Yojana, Agriculture Development Research-cum-Training Centres, Sports Infrastructure, Agar Trade Centre, Psychiatric Hospital, Rubber Mini Mission, Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, etc”.

Keeping in view about the commitment in ‘Vision Document’, Dev Varma said “Tripura government will provide Rs 2000 as monthly allowance among 3.81 lakh beneficiaries before Durga Puja 2022 celebration. An amount of Rs 645 crore to be spent for this purpose.

Some other announcements in the budget includes – 16 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools and one Eklavya Model Day Boarding School with total allocation of Rs 374 crores; Enhancing ration money of TSR Jawans from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per person per month upto the rank of Subedar; Improvement and Investment in power sector of Rs 2,660 crore with the help of Asian Development Bank; Linking of TSCB with existing 268 LAMPS and PACS to function as local outlets as per Bank Correspondence Model; Urban infrastructure and facilities in all the municipal areas with an investment of Rs 522 crore with the help of Asian Development Bank; More 25 Vidyajyoti Schools will be established during 2022-23; and 132 new projects for Minority development with an outlay of Rs 120 Cr under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.

Dev Varma said that the government will spend Rs 152.50 crore for six new schemes while Rs 518.93 crore to be spent for 19 new projects in Tripura.