Amid a never-before bedlam, created by the Opposition Congress members over the Nursing Colleges Scam, in the State Assembly, the Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday presented Rs 3.65 lakh crore State budget for the financial year 2024-25. No new taxes were announced in the budget, which Finance Minister Jagdish Devda termed as ‘sarvsparshi’ (all-inclusive) budget. Of this whopping amount a lion’s share will go to the agriculture sector to the tune of Rs 66,605 crore and Rs 21,444 crore to the health sector. Similarly, an amount of Rs 26,560 crore for the Women and Child Development Department to cater to some flagship schemes like Ladli Bahna Yojana. With a promise to recruit 7,500 police personnel and 11,000 teachers in various schools, the Finance Minister also earmarked an amount of Rs 500 crore for Simhastha (Kumbh mela) which is far away and to be organised in the year 2028. The ambitious CM RISE School Scheme will also get good amount of funds.

 

Maintaining a pro-cow stance, the Finance Minister announced to triple the fund for arranging animal-feed in Gaushalas and allocated an amount of Rs 250 crore for the purpose. The per cow per day expense has been hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 40 in the budget, the Finance Minister announced and said that the year 2024-25 is being celebrated as Gau-vansh Raksha Varsh (bovine family protection year). To appease the majority Hindu community, the State Government made budgetary allocations for schemes like Shree Krishna Pathey Yojana, which has recently been introduced. The State has a plan to develop the stretch that Lord Krishna had covered in the State and develop those destinations that have gained religious importance after his mythological visits.

 

A similar scheme had earlier been launched by the State Government to develop the destinations where Lord Rama had once travelled in the State. Finance Minister Devda announced in the House that an amount of Rs 1,081 crore has been earmarked for various such schemes like Lord Shree Krishna Pathey scheme for Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana. etc. Interestingly, the Finance Minister announced financial assistance to those ‘poor inmates’ who are languishing in various prisons as they could not afford to pay fine imposed by the court. The new scheme, the Finance Minister announced, is known as ‘Gareeb Quaidiyon Ko Vittiya Sahayata’ (financial assistance to poor inmates).