Assam's industry hails "development oriented" Budget

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Wednesday hailed the Budget for 2019-20 while the industry welcomed it for being "development oriented". Sonowal said that the Budget will act as a catalyst for equal development and equal dignity of all sections of the people belonging to Barak, Brahmaputra, hills and plains.

He said that the provisions in the Budget, which will give rice to 54 lakh family for just Re 1 a kg and free rice and sugar to four lakh tea workers, will provide social security to the people of the state. "Moreover, the Budget provisions like Arundhati, Gyan Deepika, Vistarita Atal Amrit Abhiyan, Vistarita Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Yojana, Swahid Kushal Konwar Old Age Pension Scheme, Krishak Kalyan Achoni will lead to empowerment of all sections of the people of the state," he added.

Meanwhile, he industry too welcomed the Budget, saying that the provisions are inclusive and growth-oriented. Industry chamber FICCI Assam State Council Chairman Ashish Phookan lauded the two decisions -- raising of the threshold limit for the GST registration to Rs 40 lakh and revision of the annual turnover limit for availing composition scheme under GST to Rs 1.5 crore.

"This is a development-oriented budget. It will help many small businessmen," he added. Phookan also congratulated the government on the initiatives for infrastructure development and welcomed the attention given to the tea industry at a time when the segment is going through a difficult phase.

Another industry body ASSOCHAM also welcomed the state Budget calling it "inclusive and development-oriented". In a joint statement, Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA), North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) and Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) have expressed satisfaction and expressed their gratitude for keeping green tea leaf cess in abeyance for a period of three years and also for initiating welfare measures for the tea tribe community.

"The green leaf cess presently for big growers is 40 paisa per kg of green tea leaves. In Assam, out of the total green tea leaves production, 42 per cent is produced by the small growers and 58 per cent by the big growers," they added. PTI TR JM JM.

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