Agartala, June 19: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that the "deficit free budget" presented on Tuesday, his government's first, was intended to make the state "self-reliant".

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing financial aid to the state, Deb told the media on Tuesday night that the previous Left Front government always presented deficit budgets.

"Covering the previous Left Front government's budget deficit, our Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma today (Tuesday) tabled a budget in the house considering the interests of all section of people including tribals, scheduled caste, other backward community, youths, women and others," he said.

Deb said that the Prime Minister and Finance Minister helped the state by providing additional fund to implement the recommendation of the Seventh Central Pay Commission for the Tripura government employees and pensioners.

"The budget also allocated funds for upgradation of academic infrastructure. The previous Left Front government never wanted to make Tripura economically self-determining," said Deb, adding that the the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led alliance government would fulfill the Prime Minister's promise to bring HIRA (Highway, Internet, Road, Airway) in Tripura.

Dev Varma, who also holds the finance portfolio, on Tuesday, presented a Rs 16,387.21 crore tax-free, zero-deficit budget for financial year 2018-19.

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Jammu (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu on Friday night ahead of the hectic day-long campaigning on Saturday during which he will address five public rallies in three districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah arrived here from Delhi and drove straight to the State Guest house, a senior BJP leader said.

Shah will fly to Poonch early tomorrow morning and address the first of four rallies in Mendhar followed by Surankote in Poonch district, he added.

Shah is scheduled to address rallies in Thanamandi and Rajouri followed by Akhnoor in Jammu.

He is also expected to hold a rally in the Nowshera constituency in support of Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Sunday.