Agartala (Tripura) [India], March 29 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday expressed strong support for the state's budget for the financial year 2025-26, calling it a 'people-oriented' budget designed to benefit all sections of society.
Speaking at the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Saha emphasised that the budget would play a pivotal role in the state's development, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
"This budget is for the welfare of women, students, youth, Divyangjan, tribals, Scheduled Castes, OBCs, minorities, employees, pensioners, ex-servicemen, and above all, the general public. I sincerely thank the entire team of the Finance Department, including the State Finance Minister, for presenting a people-oriented budget. Today, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has risen from 11th place to 5th place in terms of economic stability in the world. We are working towards becoming the third-largest economy by 2030. We are working in that direction," he said.
Saha added that the people of Tripura have re-elected the BJP-led government for a second term, demonstrating their trust in the development vision of PM Modi.
He mentioned that the state budget has given priority to six issues --resource allocation, economic growth, welfare and development, fiscal responsibility, revenue planning, transparency and accountability.
"The state's own revenue collection in the financial year 2017-18 was Rs 1,915 crore. The potential revenue collection in the financial year 2025-26 is Rs 4,514 crore. This proves our goal of building a self-reliant Tripura," he said.
Saha emphasized that the present state government does not want to burden the state with debt.
"This year, we are keeping the debt within the permissible limit of 3 percent of GSDP. For 2025-26, we have made a provision of only Rs 1,225 crore as market debt. The state government is trying to take up the maximum number of projects under the External Aided Scheme. Currently, we have 10 ongoing projects," the CM said.
Addressing the house, Saha said that steps have been taken in various areas, including economic, cultural, administrative, and other related matters, for the development of the tribals, which is an ongoing process.
"We do not only develop on paper but also demonstrate it in practice. That is why our success is being recognized all over the country. Through the successful implementation of various central projects, not only is the socio-economic development of the people of the state taking place, but infrastructural development is also coming to the attention of the people. Not only the budget, but beyond that, our double-engine government is particularly sensitive to improving the quality of life and employment opportunities for people across the state. Our goal is to provide overall development to citizens from all walks of life," he said. He further stated that the development of health services and health infrastructure is one of the priority areas of the state government.
"A review of the budgets of previous years shows that the state budget allocation is increasing every year during the tenure of this government. The budget allocation for the financial year 2017-18 was Rs 15,956.56 crore. The proposed budget allocation for the current financial year 2025-26 has increased to Rs 32,423 crore, which is a 103.21 percent increase. This proves that the current state government's budget is truly public welfare-oriented and an exemplary bold step for the overall development of the state. I once again fully support the budget for the financial year 2025-26 presented by the Finance Minister in this assembly on March 21, 2025. And I strongly hope that it will be unanimously adopted in this assembly. At the same time, I oppose all the retrenchment proposals brought by the opposition," he added.