Budget pro-people, will create enormous job scopes: Mamata

We have set up the 16th Pay Commission based on which we have given benefits

MP  |  15 Feb 2023 :   Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the state Budget “pro-people and employment-oriented” and stated that it will "benefit people hailing from all strata of society". 

“It is an employment-oriented Budget where crores of youths will get jobs through various schemes. Our main responsibility is to create employment. Despite the financial difficulties posed by the Centre by not clearing dues, we have tried to continue all the development schemes of the state. 

We have set up the 16th Pay Commission based on which we have given benefits,” Banerjee said. She also thanked Chandrima Bhattacharya for covering various sections of society with the development schemes. During her brief speech, Banerjee reminded that state government employees can go to Bangkok once in 10 years and also to countries like Malaysia, Bangladesh and Bhutan. 

State Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, on Wednesday, presented a Rs 3.39-lakh crore Budget for 2023-24, focusing on farmers, an ailing tea sector, the state's potential as a logistics hub and budding entrepreneurs. 

The Budget also gave a 3 per cent hike in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees. 

"I propose to provide a Rs 3,39,162 crore Budget for the financial year 2023-24," Bhattacharya said while placing the financial statement in the Assembly. She said an upcoming West Bengal Logistics Policy 2023 will leverage the state's strategic position at the crossroads of South Asia and ASEAN nations to create a global logistics hub. "It will streamline the sector and help Bengal secure a strategic position in the global supply chain," Bhattacharya said. 

The minister also said a Rs 350-crore fund will be set up to extend credit of up to Rs 5 lakh each to 2 lakh young entrepreneurs. 

"Bengal's GDP is projected to grow at 8.4 per cent, industry at 7.8 per cent in the ongoing 2022-23 fiscal," the minister said. Announcing sops for the ailing tea sector and for rural areas, which will be witnessing Panchayat polls soon, she said: "Agricultural income tax on tea gardens for 2023-24 and 2024-25 will be waived. Also, 11,500 km of rural roads will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore under the ‘Rastashree’ scheme." 

Apart from the DA hike, one of the biggest takeaways of the state Budget was the extension of stamp duty rebate till September 30, 2023, including the introduction of financial assistance up to Rs 5 lakh under “Bhavishyat Credit Card”, deaths benefits for fishermen (Matsyajeebi Bandhu), waving agricultural income tax on tea gardens for the next two financial years. To give additional relief to the farmers, the state government came up with a full waiver of the water rate on irrigation water. 

The state government also announced that the recipients of Lakshmir Bhandar shall receive Rs 1,000 per month after attaining 60 years by way of automatic transition to the old-age pension scheme. 

The state Budget 2023-2024 also highlighted that the Bengal government has seen a growth of 34.2 times in the agricultural sector since 2010-11 while the higher education sector has witnessed a growth of 26.4 times, the health sector 20 times, women and child development department 20.2 times during the same period. 

Expenditure for Capital Outlay is projected to increase to Rs 34,026 crore in 2023-24, a growth of 15.3 times than what the figure stood at 2010-11. 

The social service sector has received a boost by 12 times in the past 13 years, the minister added. Expenditure in the social service sector is projected to increase to Rs 82,180 crore in 2023-24 from what stood at Rs 6,846 in 2010-11. Physical infrastructure has seen 6.3 times growth since 2010-11. 

The state allocated a fund of Rs 12,000 crore for the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme for 2023-24 while Rs 5,200 crore has been given for Krishak Bandhu, Rs 8,384 crore for Jai Bangla pension and Rs 2,510 crore for Swasthya Sathi and Rs 1,550 for Kanyashree. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/big-stories/budget-pro-people-will-create-enormous-job-scopes-mamata-508855