Assam Budget 2019: 1 tola gold to brides; schemes for girl child, tea garden workers

Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday presented the state budget for fiscal year 2019-20 at the Legislative Assembly. For the first time, the state finance department used Social

Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday presented the state budget for fiscal year 2019-20 at the Legislative Assembly.

For the first time, the state finance department used Social Media as an additional option to engage citizens on the Budget.

The ‘Assam Budget’ app, which was launched last year as part of the government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative was also of great use as far as engaging the public on Budget is concerned.

Sarma had something for everyone in the budget including students, girl child, widows, tea garden workers, modernisation package for ASTC, schemes for marriageable girls of lower middle class.

Rice at one rupee a kg for BPL families, gold for brides of families earning upto 5 lakh rupees annually, free rice and sugar to tea garden workers and more.

A 50 crore allocation for the Bhasha Gaurav scheme that will focus on development and progress of languages in the state. 300 crore announced for Assam Darshan scheme.

Here are the highlights from his budget speech:

• Rs 79742.26 crore is on revenue account and Rs 19676.65 crore is on capital account
• Budget of estimated Rs. 99418.91 crore, but no additional tax: Sarma
• Annual turnover limit for availing Composition Scheme enhanced to Rs 1.5 crore for MSME sector
• Threshold limit for the registration under GST for suppliers of goods enhanced to Rs 40 lakh
• Hike in fiscal deficit from 2.4 per cent in 2016-17 to 3.2 per cent in 2017-18 , primarily due to the implementation of 7th Pay Commission
• Rs 2200 crore sanctioned for the construction of 6-lane bridge over Brahmaputra river in Guwahati
• New crude oil pipeline will be laid from Paradip Port to Numaligarh Refinery at a cost of Rs 22,594 crore
• Proposal to mitigate 380 arsenic affected habitations and 7 fluoride affected habitations
• One time cash incentive worth Rs 50,000 for a total of 2000 sports and arts personalities for their contribution
• Rs 155 crore given for the renovation of Batadrava than
• Village headmen to be provided with smartphones to stay connected with district administration
• Rs 25 crore sanctioned for development of tombs of Ahom Kings as tourist attraction
• Giant statues of three Assam Monarchs- Kumar Bhaskaravarman, Chaolung Siu-ka-Pha and Maharaj Nara-Narayana to be built at the state secretariat as icons of good governance
• Scheme to rehabilitate boatmen who have lost jobs after the construction of India’s two longest bridges over Brahmaputra
• Rs 200 crores has been earmarked for Minority Girls Scholarship Scheme
• Launch of Bhasha Gaurav Achoni scheme for the protection and promotion of tribal languages of the state
• Rs 10 lakh aid will be given to each 108 religious places of all faith that are 100 years old in the state
• College students from tea garden community to get Rs 10,000 monthly stipend
• Rs 300 crore earmarked for Arundhati. Benefit under Arundhati can be availed upon formal registration of marriages under Special Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954 and will reach beneficiaries right in time for the social marriage.
• For Brides belonging to families earning less than Rs 5 lakh p.a , the govt will give one tola gold, at about Rs 38,000 as on today
• Launch of new scheme where rice would be sold at Rs 1 per kg to benefit 53 lakh families
• Children of families earning less than Rs. 2 lakh p.a to get free textbooks up to university level
• E-bike for students passing XII state board with first division
• Rs 25,000 immediate assistance to widows below 45 years
• The total expenditure has crossed 70,000 crore, a new mark in the state: Sarma
• The revenue earning has increased by 20 per cent
  
  
  

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