JAMMU, Mar 6: Presenting Budget 2013-14, the State Government today announced a slew of welfare measures such as mediclaim insurance for migrants and hike in daily wage rate, exempted a few essential commodities from VAT and unveiled steps to empower Panchayati Raj.
State Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather presented the Rs 38,068-crore zero deficit budget in the Legislative Assembly.
Under welfare initiatives, Omar Abdullah Government has kept provision of Rs 5 crore for housing and Rs 9 crore for transit accommodation of Kashmiri migrants under PMRP, besides Rs 8 crore set apart for migrants’ group mediclaim insurance.
Government made provision of Rs 2 crore under Medical Aid Trust Fund, wage rates of daily rated workers to be enhanced to Rs 150 per and it will explore and participate in insurance cover for journalists.
“It is a budget for welfare of most of sectors — it is focusing on infrastructural development, addressing demands, welfare initiatives, empowerment of Panchayat Raj system, further tax concessions, and reform measures,” Rather told reporters.
As welfare measures, Rather said a provision of Rs 842 crore has been made to disburse third installment of Pay-Pension revision arrears. The budget also has provision of Rs 700 crore for DA to employees and pensioners, Rs 75 crore for 10 per cent Employer’s share under New Pension Scheme introduced from January, 2010.
For empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions, Rather said a provision of Rs 231 crore is made for devolution to panchayats. Panchayats would implement various schemes like MG-NREGA of the order of more than Rs 1300 crore.
“Sarpanches will get remuneration of Rs 2000 per month and Panches to get a fee of Rs 300 per sitting subject to monthly ceiling of Rs 600 per month,” he said adding that the Government would consider appropriate insurance cover for elected Panchayat representatives.
Besides, tax concessions (VAT Remission) to industry have been extended up to March 31, 2014 or till adoption of new GST regime.
Existing tax exemptions to the tourism sector to continue for another Year, Rather said.
He also said gutka has been banned in the State.
“State Government has totally banned in Gutka — if any one found keeping it he would be punished,” Rather said.
For additional resources mobilisation, Rather, who presented 13th budget of his career, said services provided by authorised automobile service stations, property dealers and consultants other than those already included in a service covered by J&K GST Act will be brought under service tax net.
Besides, toll rate will be increased by 5 paisa per kilogrammes in the existing rate of Additional Toll and Toll rate on import of table birds to increase from Rs 6.00 per kg to Rs 8 per kg besides VAT on cigarettes to increase from 30 PC to 40 per cent.
The total budgetary estimates have been kept at Rs 38,068 crore (total receipts), out of this an amount of Rs 33,970 crore is revenue receipts and Rs 4,098 crore as capital receipts, he said.
Out of the total expenditure, also estimated at Rs 38,068 crore, the revenue expenditure will be Rs 28,690 crore both on account of plan and non-plan, Rather said adding the total capital expenditure is estimated at Rs 9,378 crore both on account of plan and non-plan.
There is Revenue surplus of Rs 5,280, he said.
He said Non Plan Revenue Expenditure (NPRE) consumes Rs 27,096 crore of which Rs 17,002 crore on salaries and pension.
He said provision of Rs 50 crore for clearing statutory liabilities of corporations reported at over Rs 95 crore and provision of Rs 26 crore for meeting cost of VRS and GHS in PSUs have been made.
He said that Annual Plan 2013-14 has been fixed at Rs 8,000 crore and Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan has been kept at Rs 600 crore.
“State share has been kept of Rs 1,000 crore in Plan to access Central funding of about Rs 3,500 crore under Centrally Sponsored Schemes and various flagship schemes,” he said.
Rather said Rs 783 crore provision for Urban Local Bodies, Universities and other autonomous bodies and institutions for supplementing their revenue expenditure requirements.
Rs 50 lakh to be provided annually for victim compensation scheme and Budgetary provision for advertising and publicity to be increased by Rs 4 crore, he said.
On tax concessions, Rather said the Government has exempted commodities such as atta, maida, suji, besan, rice and paddy from VAT for one more year.
He said the rates for Government advertisements to be increased by 50 per cent, honey exempted from levy of VAT, VAT on saffron reduced to 5 per cent, subsidised small tractors, power tiller and other agricultural implements and attachments exempted from levy of VAT.
The limit of exemption from stamp duty increased to Rs 1.50 lakh for both Kissan Credit Cards and Artisan Credit Cards, VAT on cooked food items sold by hotels, restaurants, food joints,dhabas reduced to 5 per cent from 13.5 per cent and Import of Jute fabric exempted from the levy of Entry Tax apart from Raw Pashmina exempted from VAT.
Government also exempted stone made idols, havan samagari both packed and loose and guggal dhoop from the levy of VAT, VAT on durrets, quilt, blanket covers, table cloth, table covers, mufflers, bed spreads, pillow case and pillow sleeps to decrease to 5 percent and VAT rate on CF Lights to be reduced to 5 percent.
Laying focus of infrastructure development, Rather said Plan provision of Rs 1579 crore for Social Services and ` 652 crore for General Services Sectors has been made.
Plan provision Rs 2,207 crore for Special Area Programmes including Rs 87 crore for Leh, Rs 81 crore for Kargil, Rs 128 crore for BADP, Rs 62 crore for Tribal Sub–Plan, Rs 52 crore under Rashtriya Shram Vikas Yojana and Rs 1741 crore for District Plan also featured in the budget.
Plan provision of Rs 384 crore for agriculture and allied activities including Rural Development, Plan provision of Rs 126 crore for Industries and Minerals, Rs 613 crore for Transport, Rs 18 crore for Communication and Rs 4.6 crore for Science, Technology and Environment Sectors are there in the budget, he further said.
For energy sector Rs 889 crore has been allocated, Rs 600 crore under PMRP, of which Rs 477 crore for counterpart fund – Asian Development Bank and Rs 123 crore for rehabilitation of dwellers of Dal and Nageen Lakes have been allocated, Rather said.
He also announced provision of Rs 100 crore for employment-related initiatives including Rs 55 crore as seed capital for SKEWPY and Rs 20 crore for Youth Start-up Loan Scheme, Pending cases under Old Age Pension Scheme to be covered with financial implication around Rs 21 crore. Government will fill 70000 to 80000 posts un the next few years apart from Scheme for financial help to the acid victims to be launched, further Rs 2 crore contribution to the corpus of Cancer Treatment and Management Fund and BPL orphan girls who have passed matriculation to get Rs 30,000 for marriage Rs 3 crore earmarked for the scheme.
Government will also open 100 new mobile schools during next year, Surcharge on the electricity bills in case of delayed payments who clear their pending bills during current financial year to be waived off, he said.
As a one time exercise, all the previous energy consumption accounts of Power Development Department with the consuming departments to be squared up, he said adding that Provision of Rs 1.00 crore for giving start to a well designed and effective and educational campaign against the habits of smoking and chewing tobacco.
Government in a bid to rationalise things, have taxed Pipe fittings, hand made or machine made washing soap, cables of all types including industrial cable, ‘Aam Papad’ at uniform rate of 13.5 per cent, VAT system made dealer friendly.
He said that Penalty equivalent to 25 percent of value of goods in case of an offence lowered, however, the penalty at the rate of twice of VAT to continue. (AGENCIES)
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