Omar Abdullah govt rolls out ‘Election Express’

The Omar Abdullah government on Monday rolled-out the 'election budget' and announced major sops to woo the electorate ahead of the civic polls scheduled to be held in April after five-year-gap in Jammu and Kashmir.

Finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather presented the 'please-all' budget and tried to reach out to every strata of society with focus on youth, women and students who form the major chunk of voters in Jammu and Kashmir.

The highlight of the budget was the concessions to the housewives who have been exempted from paying VAT on domestic cooking gas.

To ease the burden of the masses from rising food inflation, Rather announced the continuation of exemption from the levy of VAT on atta, maida, suji, besan, paddy and rice etc for one more year.

Other highlights include- Rs five crore provision for 'Beti- Anmol' scheme and another Rs10 crore for empowering skilled young women, exemption from levy of VAT on all types of chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilisers and micro-nutrients, a slew of incentives to tourism industry including 30% capital outright investment subsidy on fixed assets created by new investments subject to a maximum of Rs30 lakh, full exemption of levy of VAT on computers and all the IT related items and Rs130 crore for return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants.

Levy on the cigarettes and liquor has been increased to curb smoking and drinking in the state.