Amid massive uproar, Budget worth over Rs 3.14 lakh crore tabled in MP Assembly

Amid a massive uproar by Opposition MLAs, the Budget worth over 3.14 lakh crore of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government was tabled by Finance Minister (FM) Jagdish Devda in the Assembly on Wednesday, focusing on women empowerment and individual beneficiary schemes.

For the first time, the state government presented an e-Budget (paperless) Budget for the financial year 2023-24 in the House during the Budget session of the state Assembly, which began on Monday.

For making India $5 trillion economy, about 20 per cent of the total Budget provision which is 4 per cent of the state gross domestic product (SGDP) has been made, said Devda.

Chief Minister Chouhan said that the Budget is for the welfare of every section of society. “The welfare of weaker sections is our resolution and we are committed to the upliftment of mothers, sisters and daughters, and increasing the income of farmers is our top priority”, Chouhan said.

FM Devda said that the Budget had been prepared to make MP, an ‘Atm-Nirbhar’ state keeping in mind the objective of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of self-reliance.

“This is the Budget of the public for the people, it is prepared after the suggestions of various sections such as businessmen, industrialists, charted accountants and common people, keeping the objectives of their welfare and developments”, Devda said to reporters.

In the Budget, a total appropriation amount of Rs 3,14,024.84 crore has been provisioned with 12 per cent more than the previous year’s Budget and a total net expenditure is of Rs 2,81,553.62 crore. About Rs 412.76 crore surplus revenue will be estimated with 4.02 per cent of the fiscal deficit of SGDP.

“MP is developing under CM Chouhan, the Budget will benefit the public and will cover all sections of society. This is a Budget for the development under PM Modi’s vision Sab Ka Saath Sabka Vikas”, the FM said.

Rs 8,000 crore has been provisioned for the Ladali Bahana Yojana (LBY) in the Budget. Ahead of the Assembly elections due later this year, CM Chouhan will launch the LBY, a game-changer scheme of providing Rs 1,000 per month to women of all categories from economically weaker sections, on March 5. Besides, Rs 929 crore has been provisioned for CM Chouhan’s flagship ongoing scheme, Ladali Laxmi Yojana in the Budget for the fiscal year 203-24.

In the Budget speech, Devda said that the intention of the government was to make women financially independent and brought them into the leadership role in the family.

The FM also said that the contribution of MP to the country’s GDP has increased from 3.6 to 4.8 per cent and the per capita income has hiked up three and a half fold to Rs 1,40,585 in the previous financial year from Rs 30,497in 2011-12.

“The Budget will fulfil the objective of making MP self-reliant, it will prove to be a milestone in bringing positive change in the people of the state in the Amrit Kaal”, MP Minister for Home Affairs Dr Narottam Mishra said.

It has been provisioned in the Budget that the Chief Minister Girls Child Scheme will be implemented in the state, in which scooty will be provided to meritorious students of class 12th.

Giving a big relief to the farmers, around Rs 53,264 crore has been allocated in the Budget for PM Shree, Mukhyamantri Krishak Vishal Jan Sahyog schemes etc.

Opposition Congress legislators Bala Bachchan, Sajjan Singh Verma, Vijay Laxmi Sadho, Priyavrat Singh, Jaivardhan Singh, and Jitu Patwari created an uproar in the House over various issues including the LPG price hike the moment the FM started the Budget speech. They tried to stage a walkout from the Assembly.

Aahar Anudaya Yojana has been improvised to tackle malnutrition, under the scheme, Rs 1,000 is deposited in the bank account of the women belonging to primitives tribes Baiga, Bahria and Sahriya, the FM mentioned in his speech. Besides, Rs 300 crore has been allocated to tribals under the ongoing food subsidy scheme.

Speake of the House Girish Gautam adjourned the House proceedings till Thursday after ending the Budget speech.