AS-BUDGET-REAX

Assam's industry hails "development oriented" Budget
    Guwahati, Feb 6 (PTI) 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