In the last budget of the current regime, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Monday made an apparent attempt to woo all sections of the society by presenting Rs 1,68,015 crore ‘tax-free’ budget for 2020-21, and making populist announcements largely aimed at fulfilling the pre-poll promises.

Right from Rs 1,186 crore farm debt waiver for 1.13 lakh farmers along with landless labourers, to Rs 9,000 crore for implementing Pay Commission recommendations, nearly 50,000 ‘fresh’ government jobs, doubling old age pension, to enhancing ‘Aashirwad’ amount, free bus travel for women and college students in government buses, to Rs 100 crore for distributing Smart phones, and much more, Manpreet has loosen his purse strings to present a please-all budget with an eye on 2022 elections.

The announcement of sops came at a time when the state’s debt is expected to reach Rs 2.73 crore by the end of current fiscal (2020-21), which currently stands at Rs 2.52 lakh crore. In 2017-18, the outstanding debt was Rs 1,95,978 crore.

Manpreet said that the GSDP had grown at an average rate of 10.43 percent from 2017-18 to 2019-20. “The total revenue receipts of the state has increased by 98.52 percent in 2020-21 on account of higher earnings from excise on liquor, electricity duty and stamp revenue,” he said.

The State Government is expected to earn revenue of Rs 1,62,598 crore in the next financial year, pegging the revenue deficit at 1.42 percent and fiscal deficit at 3.9 percent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP).

To fulfill the promises made in the budget, Manpreet, it seems, have to heavily depend on debt with the total expenditure estimated to be Rs 1,68,015 crore by the end of current fiscal. The payment of salaries and wages continued to constitute the highest share of the state’s total expenditure at 24 percent (Rs 27,714 crore), followed by pensions and other retirement benefits forming 10 percent share (Rs 11,767 crore). Besides, the interest payments (Rs 20316 crore) formed 17 percent of the total expenditure, besides nine percent of power subsidy (Rs 10621 crore).

Moreover, the new decisions and announcements would also put additional burden on the state exchequer. As Manpreet, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, announced free transportation for women and college students in all state-run buses, the decision is likely to cost the government Rs 170 crore.

Enhancement of compensation to SC, ST, BC and EWS girls at the time of their weddings under the Aashirwad scheme from Rs 21,000 to Rs 51,000 would put additional burden of Rs 140 crore on state treasury, while doubling of old age pension from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 monthly, to be implemented from July 1, is estimated to cost the government approximately Rs 2,000 crore. The monthly pension of freedom fighters in the State has also been enhanced from Rs 7,500 to Rs 9,400.

Manpreet has allocated Rs 9,000 crore for the state government employees to implement the recommendations by the sixth Pay Commission, “which has unofficially informed us to submit its report by March 31 this year”. He announced that the same would be implemented from July 1, this year. Apart from this, Manpreet also announced filling up of 48,989 vacancies in the State Government in the first phase against one lakh.

Besides, Manpreet has also announced enhancement in the award money for Sahitya Akademi winners (from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh), Shiromani Awards (Rs five lakh to Rs 10 lakhs), best printing books, pension for retired writers and dependents. Besides, the government would also contribute in publishing of books in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu languages.

Giving a push to the COVID-19 affected economy, Manpreet announced that all shops and commercial establishments in the State can remain open 24x7 round the year.

Injecting the much-needed share to the health sector amidst the continuing COVID-19 situation, Manpreet enhanced allocation to the health sector by almost 32 percent at Rs 7,856 crore, announcing two new medical colleges and hospitals at Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala at an expenditure of Rs 650 crore.

Besides, Manpreet also announced to set up eight new maternal and child health wings in sub-divisional hospitals at Talwandi Sabo, Nabha, Patti, Dera Bassi Muktsar, Gurdaspur, Bhawanigarh and Raikot.

A virology centres will be set up at the Government Medical College Amritsar and the National Institute of Virology at Mohali.

Rs 92 crore has been allocated for up-gradation of Government Medical College, Patiala. Besides, a unit of Tata Memorial Hospital at Mullanpur will be completed using Rs 450 crore.

For the education sector, Manpreet announced upgradation of two technical colleges to universities; upgradation of 250 government schools; Rs 140 crore for digital education including Rs 100 crore to provide smartphones to Class XII students; establishing fitness parks in all government schools and playgrounds; Rs 100 crore for upgradation of Government Colleges; Rs 90 crore assigned to help waive off Punjabi University’s debt; Rs 432 crore for setting up Interfaith Institute at GNDU Amritsar; Rs 750 crore for giving scholarships to two lakh students under Post Matric Scholarship scheme.

Manpreet said that the Government has proposed Rs 160 crore for upgradation of 124 rural roads and 13 bridges with the assistance of NABARD. All streetlights in cities in Punjab will be replaced with LEDs by December 2021.

Also announcing a new scheme for monitoring water quality for arsenic affected villages, Manpreet announced to install inline Arsenic and Iron Removal Plants (ARIPs), based on Nanomaterial arsenic adsorption technology of IIT Madras, to ensure sustained potable water supply to these villages.

Manpreet also announced a special project at the cost of Rs 500 crore to construct new link roads to the Basti’s of Scheduled Caste and poorer sections of the society, shamshan ghats (graveyards), places of worship, which do not have road connectivity presently.

In the budget, “an allocation of Rs 7,856 crore has been proposed to expand, strengthen, and upgrade the health infrastructure while an allocation of Rs 17,051 crore is proposed for the welfare of the backbone of our society — the farmers,” said Manpreet.

He said that Rs 6,827 crore will be spent for the welfare of weaker and vulnerable sections of our society. Besides, Rs 16,302 crore has been allocated for the educational sector and for generating opportunities for the state’s youth.

“The Government needs to enhance its spending to revive and re-invigorate the economy and therefore, I propose an enhanced allocation of Rs 16,557 crore to strengthen our rural, urban, and other infrastructure,” he said.