Jishnu Devvarma presents Tripura’s ₹26,892.67 crore tax-free budget

The Budget is focussed on industrial promotion, health, education and social security in the state, where polls are due next year

AGARTALA: Finance minister Jishnu Devvarma on Thursday presented a tax-free ₹26892.67 crore Budget for Tripura, where polls are due next year. The Budget is focused on industrial promotion, health, education, and social security. Last year, the state’s ₹22724.50 crore Budget was also tax-free with emphasis on health, education, agriculture, tourism, and information technology.

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Devvarma said this year’s Budget is 18.34% higher than that of last year. “The Covid-19 pandemic affected economy...We had nearly 12.16% growth in gross state domestic product and we expect it will grow by 13.28% in the next financial year.”

Devvarma, who is also the deputy chief minister, said their government maintained growth in the budgetary allocation through fiscal management. He added the state came under debt during the previous Left Front rule.

₹50 crore have been allocated to set up a national law university. The Budget has proposed to allocate ₹1777 crore to the health sector. It marks a 23% increase in funding for the sector. The construction of a psychiatric hospital, a consultation centre, a drug rehabilitation centre in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council has also been approved. ₹1300 crore have been sanctioned for the development of Scheduled Tribes.

The Opposition lawmakers earlier interrupted governor Satyadeo Narain Arya’s speech and questioned his silence over the alleged deterioration of law and order. They later walked out of the House demanding his reply.