Assam Budget 2019: Highlights

Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the state budget for the financial year 2019-20 on Wednesday at the Legislative Assembly. Here are the highlights from his budget speech:
* Proposal to enhance threshold limit for registration under GST for supplier of goods to Rs 40 lakhs.
* Rs 79742.26 crore is on Revenue Account and Rs 19676.65 Crore is on Capital Account
* Proposal to enhance the annual turnover limit for availing composition scheme to Rs.1.5 crore in MSME sector
* Budget of estimated Rs 99418.91 crore, but no additional tax: Sarma
* Marginal hike in fiscal deficit from 2.4% in 2016-17 to 3.2% in 2017-18; attributed primarily to the implementation of the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission
* A new 6-lane bridge project over Brahamaputra river sanctioned at an overall cost of nearly Rs 2200 crore in Guwahati
* Rise of domestic tourist footfalls from 57,13,156 to 59,34,791 and from 28,419 to 31,739 in respect of foreign tourists
* New crude oil pipeline will be laid from Paradip Port to Numaligarh refinery at a cost of Rs 22,594 crore
* Proposal to mitigate 380 arsenic affected habitations & 7 fluoride affected habitations
* One-time cash incentive of Rs 50,000 each will be given to total 2000 sports and art personalities for their
contributions
* Rs 155 crore for renovation of Batadrava than, the first prayer place set up by Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev in 1468
* Smart phones will be given to village headmen to stay connected with district administration
* Rs 25 crore sanctioned for development of tombs of Ahom kings as tourist attraction
*Giant statues of three monarchs of Assam, Kumar Bhaskaravarman, Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha and Maharaj Nara-Narayana, to be built at state secretariat as icons of good governance
* Scheme to rehabilitate boatmen who have lost jobs after the India's two longest bridges were completed over Brahmaputra.
* Rs 100 crore earmarked for developmental and employment related activities for indigenous Muslims of the state.
* ‘One tola gold’, costing around Rs 38,000 as on today, will be given to brides of families whose annual income is below Rs 5 lakh
* New Bhasha Gaurav Achoni scheme for the protection and promotion of tribal languages of the state
* Rs 10 lakh aid earmarked to each of 108 religious places of all faith that are 100-years-old in state
* Rs 10,000 monthly stipend will be given to every student from tea garden community studying in college
* New scheme will be launched where rice will be sold at Rs 1/kg; 53 lakh families to benefit: Sarma
* Free text books will be given up to university level for children of families having annual income below Rs 2 lakh
* E-bike for students passing class XII state board in first division
* Rs 25,000 immediate assistance to widows below 45 years
* Revenue earning has increased by 20%
* We will cross Rs 70,000 crore in expenditure, a new mark in the state: Sarma
* It is the second digital budget
* This is 4th budget of BJP-led government in Assam
* Finance minister starts his budget speech with tributes to Vaishnavite saint of Assam, Srimanta Sankardev