Agartala, July 2: Tripura has recorded a significant milestone in its tax collection, surpassing Rs 3000 crores in the last fiscal year, said the state’s Finance Minister, Pranajit Singha Roy.
Speaking to reportes at the IT Bhavan in Agartala, coinciding with an event for the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Yogayug Yojana (Special) scheme, Minister Singha Roy highlighted this achievement.
Reflecting on the tax department’s history, Singha Roy noted, “The tax department began its operations in Tripura in 1976, primarily in Agartala and at the Churaibari gate, with a modest collection of Rs 42 lakh in its first year. Now, tax collection has expanded across the state, reaching Rs 3007 crores last year and without introducing any new taxes burden. This growth indicates Tripura’s development and increasing financial stability.”
He further compared Tripura’s financial health to other states in the region, noting that, after Assam, Tripura stands in a better financial position with strong tax collection and GDP growth.
In the fiscal year 2022-23, Tripura collected Rs 1899 crores under GST, and its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was ₹640 billion at constant prices, marking a 10.38% growth over the previous year.
As the IT and Planning Minister, Singha Roy also spoke about the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Yogayug Yojana, a state government’s scheme which provides Rs 5000 financial benefits for new smartphones to recently graduated students from various government colleges and institutions, underscores the government’s commitment to digital empowerment.
He said that since its inception in 2020-21, under the scheme 40,215 smartphones has distributed among graduates from government colleges and institutions. Although the distribution faced technical issues in 2021-22, efforts are underway to provide smartphones to an additional 12,000 students who graduated that year.
He added that so far, Rs 20 crores have been spent on the scheme, with Rs 10 crore allocated in last year’s budget. The funding is expected to increase annually, reflecting the rising number of eligible students.
Minister Singha Roy emphasized that there is no shortage of funds for this initiative, reinforcing the government’s commitment to providing digital access and supporting the vision of Digital India.
Students have also expressed their appreciation for the scheme, highlighting its significant benefits in enhancing their educational and digital opportunities.
