Deficit budget tabled in Arunachal Assembly with focus on health, education

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday presented a Rs 578.50 crore deficit budget for the 2021-22 fiscal in the Assembly, with major thrusts on health, education and

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday presented a Rs 578.50 crore deficit budget for the 2021-22 fiscal in the Assembly, with major thrusts on health, education and other social sectors.

Mein, who holds the planning, investment and finance portfolios, said the focus of the government will be on increasing capital expenditure to create assets in the state for overall development.

He projected a total receipt of Rs 22,581 crore for the 2021-22 fiscal, up from the revised estimates of Rs 22,000 crore in the current fiscal.

“Our share of central taxes has been pegged at Rs 11,693.94 crore as per the Union Budget Estimates for 2021-22, which is the highest source of resource for the state,” the deputy CM said.

In his budget speech, he said the state’s own tax revenue is projected at Rs 1,900 crore and the non-tax revenue for 2021-22 estimated at Rs 850 crore.

The government has made a provision of Rs 180 crore to cater to CCI (cabinet committee on infrastructure) projects and increased the overall allocation to centrally sponsored schemes by around Rs 1,000 crore.

Mein said the revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 15,344.32 crore for the 2021-22 fiscal, up from the revised estimates of Rs 14,402.84 crore this fiscal.

The capital expenditure, including loan components in the budget, is projected at Rs 6,968.68 crore, an increase of about three per cent from this year’s estimates.

Mein said this year budget is guided by six strategic areas- health and wellbeing, reinvigorating human capital, inclusive development for ”Aspirational Arunachal”, 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 sectors which would ensure the realisation of desired outcomes against each of the six focused areas,” the deputy chief minister said.

An attempt has been made in the budget to address the unfinished agenda of the last year.

“Our aim will be on equitable distribution of resources and focus is on augmenting the state”s own revenue besides formulating government reforms on ease of doing business and reducing compliance burden,” the deputy chief minister said.

This year, the government has taken up a mission to get Rs 5,000 crore funds from the Centre under various centrally sponsored schemes (CSS).

The government proposed to allocate Rs 160 crore for ”Mission Health” over and above the planned budget for the department to consolidate and strengthen the related infrastructure.

“This year, we are launching ”Mission Shiksha” with an all-encompassing strategy to improve the standard of education in the next two years with six focus areas including, infrastructure development of schools, technology intervention and digital initiatives,” the minister said.

The budget earmarked Rs 200 crore fund to realise the ”Mission Shiksha” objectives, he said.

“We will converge all resources to mobilise a sum of Rs 1,000 crore for the education department,” he said.

After presenting the budget, he told reporters that the government has taken an initiative – Atmanirbhar Krishi Yojana – with an allocation of Rs 60 crore. PTI

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