Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has described State Government’s Budget tabled in Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday as an example of efficient fiscal management. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making efforts to reduce inflation and state government’s budget is a good and effective step towards this.
Chouhan said that this is a unique budget under present circumstances since no new tax has been imposed. On the contrary, burden of taxes has been reduced on a number of public utility items like farm implements, which will bring down their prices. Now, Madhya Pradesh has become a State whose annual budget is to the tune of Rs1.17 lakh crore, which was Rs1.02 lakh crore last year.
State has made this achievement without any new taxation. In year 2003-04, 22 per cent of revenue receipts went to payment of interest on loan. Present State Government has reduced this down to 6 per cent. This Budget contains separate agriculture Budget also under which Rs22,413 crore has been provisioned.
It is more than 19 per cent of the total B Budget. He said that the State Government has chalked out ‘Vision Document 2018’ for development of Madhya Pradesh. This Budget is the roadmap of the ‘Vision Document’. Funds have been allocated in the Budget for development programmes and schemes keeping in view the roadmap to get included Madhya Pradesh among most developed states of the country by year 2018.
Adequate funds have been earmarked for all sectors including agriculture, irrigation, infrastructure, rural development, power, drinking water etc. Provision has also been made in the budget for Narmada-Gambhir link Project after Narmada-Kshipra link Project. Funds have also been earmarked for starting light metro train in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur. In view of requirement of human resources, budget for technical education has been increased by 40 per cent.
Now, upto Rs one crore loan will be given under Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana. Adequate arrangements have been made keeping in view education, health and women’s empowerment. Tax relief has been given on highly essential goods. This budget is an effort to ensure upliftment of every section of society.