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Taking a leaf from AAP ahead of Assembly elections next year, Congress Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi today announced a 50 per cent power subsidy to poor families in budget 2015-16 which also has a slew of other schemes for them but has no new tax proposal.
Gogoi, who also holds the finance portfolio, earmarked Rs 361.8 crore for providing 50 per cent subsidy to BPL families, benefiting 37,06,736 consumers in the state.
Speaking to reporters after presenting of his last full budget in the Assembly before the elections, Gogoi refuted the opposition charge that it is a populist one and aimed at luring voters and called it a "real economic Budget".
The Aam Admi Party (AAP) had promised to slash power bills by 50 per cent in its Delhi elections manifesto. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP trounced BJP in Delhi assembly polls, winning 67 of 70 seats.
The new Delhi government gives a 50 per cent subsidy on monthly power consumption of up to 400 units.
"As I said I do not intend to impose any burden on the common man. I am not proposing any substantial increase in taxes. But my government would create a state-of-the art IT- enabled taxation system with online tax compliance facilities so as to ensure minimum contact between tax payers and the tax collecting officials," Gogoi said in his Budget speech.
By doing so alone, the government will be able to arrest the leakage and raise the tax collection by 4-5 per cent, which will be about Rs 350 crore in 2015-16, he added. He also proposed a financial assistance of Rs 25,000 each for construction of one lakh houses for homeless. "An amount of Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for the year 2015-16 for distribution of yarn and blankets among the poor weavers under the Chief Minister's Special Programme," he added.
Gogoi proposed a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each to BPL families for conducting marriages of daughters in those families under Nabuari scheme. Gogoi proposed a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each to BPL families for conducting marriages of their daughters under Nabuari scheme. "My government will further extend financial of Rs 10,000 each to unmarried women of age between 40 to 60 years under the Baideo scheme," he said, adding Rs 10,000 will be given to 200 widows in each LAC.
Besides, Rs 10,000 will be given to one lakh women self-help groups for taking up income generating activities.
The chief minister proposed to provide old age pension to one lakh people, who are not covered under Central Government Old Age Pension scheme. Gogoi proposed to bear 50 per cent of the interest by the government on bank loan for students aiming to go for higher education, besides planning to provide solar lamps to two lakh students across the state."I propose to initiate free healthcare scheme for BPL students below 18 years... Health of school children will continue to be the priority of my government. For this, I propose to introduce Health Cards for school children," Gogoi said.
He proposed filling up 65,000 vacant posts in the state during FY 2016 and announced plans to create over 7 lakh jobs in the near future. He proposed a special financial assistance to small and marginal farmers at Rs 5,000 each to 1,000 farmers in every LAC and a provision of Rs 63 crore has been made.
He also exempted cancer drugs from VAT. "I have noticed that cancer patients have been increasing in the state and cancer drugs are being taxed at the rate of 5 per cent of VAT. To give relief to the patients and their families, I propose to exempt the cancer drugs sold in the state from VAT," he said.
The chief minister also proposed to exempt medicinal oxygen from VAT to benefit patients looking at the criticality of its needs. He, however, announced his plans to hike the rates of the products that are injurious to health. "Smoking is injurious to health. Therefore, I propose to impose a cess of Rs 1 per pack of cigarettes to raise funds for improving health services in Assam," Gogoi said. "I propose to substantially increase fees and taxes on liquor with a view to discourage alcoholism and spread of bar and liquor shops," he added.
Gogoi also proposed to introduce a new Revenue and Land Policy to protect the interest of the farmers and opposed the ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act by the Centre. "My government will also come up with a policy to regulate conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purpose in order to control haphazard urbanisation," he added.
To benefit 80,000 small tea growers in the state, Gogoi proposed in the Budget for 2015-16 to amend the policy for welfare of the small tea gardens for using the cess collected to make it more effective. "My government proposes financial assistance of Rs 5,000 each for 1,000 persons in each LAC for artisans and traders dependent on traditional industries," Gogoi said.
He announced to constitute the State Pay Commission soon and proposed a new scheme for health insurance coverage of the existing and retired state government staff.
