Agartala, March 21 (IANS) Tripura Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy while presenting the annual Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year on the first day of the Budget session of the state Assembly on Friday announced 13 new schemes for the welfare of farmers, girls, women, youth and the poor people.

Roy presented a Rs 32,423.44 crore tax free Budget for FY 2025-26, focusing on inclusive development, women empowerment, strengthening of roads, education, health infrastructure besides to deal with various social welfare issues.

The second Budget of the BJP-led government's second term shows a deficit of Rs 429.56 crore and the budget for the year 2025-26 sees an increase of 16.61 per cent.

The finance minister announced a new scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana’. Under this scheme, the state government would cover the cost of marriage for a girl child from ‘Antyodaya’ (poor) family and an amount of Rs 50,000 would be spent by the state government.

“Mass marriage would be conducted at Subdivision level. An amount of Rs 10 crore is allocated for this purpose.”

He announced another new scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana’. Under this scheme, an investment of Rs 50,000 would be made against a new born girl child of ‘Antodyaya’ (poor) family and the amount can be encashed with the value at maturity, after the girl attains 18 years of age.

A Budget provision of Rs 15 crore is allocated for the scheme for the year 2025-26.

In his Budget speech, Roy proposed to launch 'Mukhyamantri Sashya Shyamala Yojana' during 2025-26 for promoting high yielding varieties of crops.

A Budget provision of Rs 5 crore is allocated initially for the scheme for the year 2025-26.

"To make sure that people from other places of the state who get stuck due to various reasons, get accommodation at night in Agartala city and also get subsidised food at night,” the finance minister said and proposed to set up 'Bharat Mata Canteen cum Night Shelter' at Agartala.

A Budget provision of Rs 2 crore is allocated for the same.

Roy told the House that the government would launch 'Chief Minister's Scheme for Mentally Challenged Persons' under which mentally challenged persons would be given a monthly pension of Rs 5,000.

Those who are already getting Rs 2,000 per month as disability pension, would get additional Rs 3,000 per month.

An amount of Rs 40 crore has been allocated for this scheme.

The Finance Minister proposed to launch 'Mukhyamantri Sashya Shyamala Yojana' during 2025-26 for promoting high yielding varieties of crops.

A Budget provision of Rs 5 crore is allocated initially for the scheme for the year 2025-26.

He said that during 2025-26, at least 20,745 hectares of rubber plantation would be taken up under ‘Chief Ministers' Rubber Mission’.

At least 10 rubber processing units would be constructed, the minister said.

Roy said that the state government has taken up different initiatives for improving the collection of tax revenue.

These include, opening of GST Gyan Kendra, use of analytical tools for identification of fraud and deployment of Tax Intelligence Unit among others.

--IANS

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