With Assembly elections less than a year away, the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab on Monday presented its last budget with a total size of Rs 1,68,015 crore for 2021-22, making
bulk of its provisions for agriculture, urban development, water resources, health and other sectors.
Dedicating the State Budget to the farmers who are protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal decided against levying any fresh taxes.
Announcing the next phase of the Congress-led Government’s flagship programme ‘crop loan waiver scheme’, Badal announced an allocation of Rs 1,712 crore in which Rs 1,186 crore of 1.13 lakh farmers and Rs 526 crore of landless farm workers will be waived.
Already, the State Government has given a debt relief of Rs 4,624 crore to 5.83 lakh small and marginal growers. Among major Budget proposals, Badal announced implementation of sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations for the Government employees from July and a Rs 3,780 crore scheme — ‘’Kamyaab Kisan Khushaal Punjab’’ for farmers.
The Budget also proposed another dose of crop loan waiver, Rs 200 crore for crop diversification programme, doubling of old-age pension and raising the amount under the Ashirwad scheme and employment for youth.