GUWAHATI, July 16: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government on Friday presented its first full-fledged budget, a Rs 566 crore deficit Budget for 2021-22, but refrained from levying any new tax on the public.
Ajanta Neog, the first woman Finance Minister of Assam, while reading out the budgetary proposals said that she was following the footsteps of her predecessor Dr Sarma, who had decided not tax the public in his budgets.
“I too, with the aim of continuing this trend, would like to hereby place my budget without levying any extra tax on the public,” she said in the Assam Assembly.
During the last fiscal, the Tax Department’s collection declined to Rs 14,645 crore from Rs 14,967 crore in the previous financial year due to “economic slowdown” on account of COVID-19 pandemic, Neog said.
Presenting the Budget estimates, the Finance Minister said the aggregate income has been calculated to be Rs 2,89,770.68 crore for 2021-22, while the total expenditure for the year is estimated at Rs 2,89,367.10 crore.
“Thus, estimated transactions during the year will result in an estimated surplus of Rs 403.58 crore. This, together with the opening deficit of Rs 969.78 crore will lead to a Budget deficit of Rs 566.20 crore at the end of the year 2021-22,” she added.
PTI