Team News Riveting
Raipur, March 6
With no fresh tax burden, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today presented the Rs 1,21,500 crore budget for the financial year 2023-24.
The fiscal deficit has been estimated at 2.99 per cent that is within the prescribed limit of fiscal deficit. Of the outgo, Rs 18,660 crore or 15.36 per cent of the budget has been allotted for the capital expenditure. The allocation is less than a per cent compared to the provision made in the last fiscal. The subsidy burden has been pegged at 8.17 percent.
In the election year, as the state goes to the polls later in the year, the government has made the highest allocation of Rs 19,489 crore in the school education sector followed by Rs 10,329 crore in panchayat and rural development and Rs 10,070 crore in agriculture department.
Besides proposing a new thermal power plant in Korba, the budget has proposed to pay Rs 2500 per month to the educated unemployed youths as unemployment allowances. A provision of Rs 6800 crore has been allocated for Bhupesh Baghel government’s flagship scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. The scheme facilitates farmers to get a bonus on paddy totalling Rs 2500 for a quintal of yield.
The government proposes to set up 101 new Swami Atmanand English medium schools by spending Rs 807 crore besides four new medical colleges to be built with an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore. An allocation of Rs 990 crore has been made for Dr Kboobchand Baghel Swasthya Sahayatra Yojana that provides medical cover.
Provision of Rs 300 crore for new works related to 218 major irrigation schemes, 75 medium irrigation schemes, 840 minor irrigation schemes, 598 anicut-stop dam and 256 flood control schemes. Provision of Rs 230 crore for major and medium irrigation projects and Rs 856 crore for construction of small and minor irrigation projects.
Earlier, Bhupesh Baghel carried the budget in a briefcase showcasing Chhattisgarh’s rich culture and tradition. With Kamdhenu and Chhattisgarh Mahatari (mother) pictures were engraved with natural cow-dung paint.
Baghel said the budget was presented with a motto of “Gadhbo Nava Chhattisgarh” for the prosperity and growth of the state with agricultural and rural economy in focus. It will strengthen and complement the objectives of “Chhattisgarh Model”. During the last 4 years, welfare and employment-oriented development works for all the sections of the state has been a key priority of the government to strengthen the economic situation of the common people, he said, adding that the budget is a sincere and strong effort by our government to fulfill the promises made by us to the people of Chhattisgarh in the year 2018.
With the intent of care and sensitive administration of the state, the budget is dedicated to the people of state for increasing the income of farmers, agricultural labourers, economically weaker sections of the state, overall development of villages, quality of education, providing best quality English medium School education as well as Higher education in English medium, unprecedented expansion of health and medical facilities, overall development of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, welfare of women and children, unemployment allowance to youth and in parallel creation of new opportunities of employment and entrepreneurship through quality trainings to the youth and multi-dimensional development of rural and urban infrastructure.
State’s total receipts (excluding borrowings) for 2023-24 are estimated to be Rs 1,21,501 crore, an increase of about 17 per cent as compared to the revised estimate of Rs 1,04,000 crore in 2022-23. The total expenditure for 2023-24 is estimated to be Rs 1,21,500 crore, an increase of about 17 per cent over the revised estimate of Rs 1,04,000 crore in 2022-23.
The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for the current year 2022-23 is projected to grow at 8 per cent over 2021-22 at constant prices. This is higher than the 7 per cent growth at the national level.
Also Read: Chhattisgarh economy to grow at 8%: Survey
Also Read: Allocation curtails for major sectors in Chhattisgarh budget
