Amit Mitra says more than 9 lakh employment opportunities created in Bengal last year

West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday said the state has been able to create around nine lakh employment opportunities during the 2018-19 fiscal. In his Budget speech, Mitra said the country is still suffering from the "hasty and improper" implementation of the GST, and the "shock" of demonetisation.

"Despite this, till now, the state has been able to create 9.05 lakh employment opportunities," Mitra said. Presenting a Rs 2.37 lakh-crore state budget with a Rs 9-crore deficit, he alleged that every institution in the country - the CBI, ED, RBI, National Statistical Commission, Supreme Court as well as free press -- were under threat.

The minister said the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is set to touch Rs 11,55,000 crore during the current fiscal, attaining the "number one" position in the country. He said that while India's industrial growth stood at 5.54 percent in 2017-18, West Bengal recorded a growth of 16.29 percent.

Revenue deficit of the state as a percentage of GSDP came down to 0.96 percent in 2017-18 from 3.75 percent in 2010-11. Mitra said own tax collection grew to Rs 57,700 crore in 2017-18 from Rs 21,128 crore in 2010-11, he said.

He also proposed to give full exemption to the tea gardens from payment of education cess and rural employment cess for the next two financial years. Meanwhile, holding placards, members of the Congress and the CPI(M) shouted slogans from the well of the House, demanding higher dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees.

(With inputs from agencies.)