News Brief
Puducherry Budget 2023-24
Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy presented a Rs 11600 crore tax free budget for the Union Territory (UT) today (13 March).
The major announcements of the budget are-
Under the Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme, the government would create a fixed deposit of Rs 50000 for a time period of 18 years in a nationalised bank for every girl child born in Puducherry.
All ration card holders would receive a subsidy of Rs 300 per LPG cylinder (upto 12 cylinders in a calendar year). An amount of Rs 126 crore has been allocated for this purpose.
A subsidy of 1 per cent would be provided on land, buildings and machinery to youth for the first five years after starting an industry.
The government would pay the insurance premium of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (accident insurance scheme) for all red ration card holders.
A software park would be set up in the Union Territory with the help of the Software Techology Park of India (STPI).
Lots To Cheer For Farmers
600 acres proposed to be brought under organic farming over the next two years.
Organic agricultural inputs to be supplied free of cost to Scheduled Caste farmers and with 75 per cent subsidy to others
An incentive of Rs 8000 per acre towards promoting the cultivation of traditional varieties of paddy
An additional input subsidy of Rs 2000 to the existing production incentive of Rs 3000 per acre for pulses and Rs 5000 per acre for millets
90% subsidy for small and marginal farmers for micro irrigation facilities by availing funds from the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and Micro Irrigation Fund for NABARD
Seed production, seed villages and seed hubs to be incentivised
A special scheme to be introduced to boost the export of Jasmine flowers
World Tamil Conference And 150th Birth Anniversary Of Sri Aurobindo
Rangasamy announced that the government would hold a World Tamil Conference
A national level conference would be held as a part of the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo
Budgetary Resources
Of the Rs 11600 crore budget, the UT's own resources amount to Rs 6154.54 crore and central assistance including Disaster Relief Funds amounts to Rs 3117.77 crore. Additionally, an amount of Rs 620 crore would be available to the UT under centrally sponsored schemes.
The remaining Rs 1707.69 crore would be mobilised through open market borrowings and loans from central financial institutions.
Breakup Of The Budgetary Outlay