Pul presents 46.23 crore deficit budget for 2007-08

Itanagar, Mar 19 (UNI) With a thrust on growth, development, efficiency and social equity, Arunachal Pradesh Finance Minister Kalikho Pul today presented a Rs 46.23 crore deficit Budget for 2007-08, sans any new taxes.

While the plan outlay has been fixed at Rs 1,320 crore, the non-plan outlay in the Budget was estimated at Rs 1,323.97 crore.

The plan resources comprises Rs 149.88 crore as Special Plan Assistance (SPA) and Rs 43.08 crore as one time Additional Central Assistance (ACA), the minister informed the House while presenting the Budget.

The plan outlay also included a substantial increase in allocation under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme by additional Rs 30 crore from the existing level of Rs 30 crore in the current fiscal, thus raising the total to Rs 60 crore, he informed adding, allocation under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was reduced from Rs 49.01 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 32.98 crore.

'' A provision of Rs 18.66 crore has been made for central plan schemes and centrally sponsored schemes, while Rs 4.32 crore has been made for NEC schemes and Rs 3.34 crore for schemes under non- lapsable central pool of resources,'' he informed.

From the non-plan outlay for 2007-08 an amount of Rs 1,124.42 crore has been fixed as non-plan revenue expenditure, while an amount of Rs 199.55 crore has been fixed as non-plan capital expenditure, the minister informed in his Budget speech adding, the estimates were based on 12 per cent growth on salary account for increase in DA, including DA arrears of five per cent, annual increment of two per cent in basic pay and five per cent growth on 'others' account over the non-plan revenue Budget Estimate of 2006-07.

Stating that although the state government had not proposed any new taxes in the Budget, Mr Pul informed that efforts would be made to realise higher tax collection through stringent enforcement.

''The main tax and non-tax earning departments are already being strengthened with this objective and goal in mind,'' he added.

Highlighting the major thrusts in the Budget, the minister informed that the government was giving more emphasis on social sectors such as health, education and road network.

Pleading for giving him autonomy in providing non-divertible fund in the name of each category of health care, the minister further informed that priority was given on education, women's welfare besides roads.

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