Chhattisgarh focus on youth, infrastructure in Rs 65,013 crore budget

Raipur, March 13 (IANS) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh presented a Rs. 65,013 crore budget for the fiscal 2015-16 on Friday, focussing on youth, industry and infrastructure.

Ayurvedic doctor-turned-politician Singh, who is ruling the state since Dec 2003, made several bold announcements aimed to spur growth, build road infrastructure across all the 27 districts and woo investors to realise the goal of Make-in-Chhattisgarh in line with the Make-in-India concept of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Singh, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced a series of trade and business-friendly tax incentives in VAT, central sales tax and entry tax, to make domestic trade and industry more competitive.

A major highlight of the budget was the introduction of a separate 'Youth Budget', focussing on public investment in schemes that directly relate to the 90 lakh youths of the state.

An amount of Rs.6,151 crore has been allocated for youths with the basic intent of skill development under the Chhattisgarh Right of Youth to Skill Development Act, 2013.

Infrastructure has been given Rs.11,000 crore, up 39 percent from last year. The allocation for the road sector is Rs. 5,183 crore, an increase of 43 percent over last year.

The budget also proposes to upgrade all state highways and roads connecting district and block headquarters to double-lane roads.

In addition, 2,000 km of existing roads will be upgraded in the PPP mode, with an estimated investment of Rs.10,000 crore. Besides, Rs.700 crore have been allocated for rural connectivity, for roads not covered under the Prime Minister's Rural Roads Scheme.

Traders having an annual turnover of up to Rs.1 crore have been exempted from filing quarterly returns.

To give a fillip to the Clean India initiative of the Prime Minister, bio-toilets have been exempted from VAT and entry tax. In order to incentivise fast track construction of affordable housing, pre-cast and monolithic concrete products have been made tax-free.

VAT on aviation turbine fuel has been reduced to 4 percent.

In the health sector, a special nutrition supplement scheme for TB patients, the first of its kind in the country, and distribution of free insulin for diabetic children are fresh initiatives.

The social security pension for about 16 lakh pensioners has been hiked by 20 percent.