A clear focus on women’s welfare was apparent in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government’s last budget before the 2023 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.
Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented a budget of over Rs 3, 14,024.84 crore for the financial year 2023-24, with a revenue surplus of Rs 412.76 crore, in the state assembly on Wednesday. This was the first time that a paperless budget was presented in Madhya Pradesh, and the members of the assembly were provided the budget on tablets.
The opposition Congress walked out of the house during the presentation of the budget, protesting the hike of Rs 50 in the price of domestic gas cylinders.
Later, speaking outside the house, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it was a budget for ‘Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Madhya Pradesh’ in keeping with the creation of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ of the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the budget is focused on the welfare of poor, upliftment of mothers, sisters, and daughters, and the increase in income for farmers.
“This is a budget for infrastructure development and people’s welfare. There is a provision of Rs 56,256 crore for infrastructure, which is 15 per cent more than the last year's budget. Women’s welfare is our priority and provision of a total Rs 1, 02,976 crore have been made for schemes like Ladli Laxmi, Gaon ki Beti, and Kanya Vivah for subsidising interest to loans taken by women self-help groups (SHGs) and others. This is a historically high provision for women,” the CM said. He also announced a new scheme wherein e-scooters will be given to girl students who score first division marks in Class XII exams.
The budget allocated Rs 8,000 crore for the new flagship Ladli Behna scheme (cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to married women in the low-income group), Rs 2,191 crore for anganwadi and nutrition services, Rs 1,272 crore for special nutrition scheme (cash transfer for nutrition to women of particularly vulnerable tribal groups), Rs 929 crore for Ladli Laxmi scheme, Rs 870 crore for remuneration to anganwadi workers, Rs 467 crore for Matri Vandana scheme (cash transfer for pregnancy support) and Rs 400 crore for CM pregnancy support scheme for women who work as manual labourers.
The chief minister said Rs 53,964 crore have been earmarked for farmers and agriculture and Rs 38,375 crore for the education sector. The sports budget was increased three times to Rs 738 crore, he said. Chouhan said special provisions were made for scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, OBC, denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. The budget has a provision of 36,950.16 crore under Scheduled Tribes Sub-Scheme and Rs 260,86.81 crore for Scheduled Caste sub-scheme.
Cultural and religious projects: The budget has also put focus on religious and cultural projects with the announcement of Rs 350 crore for the establishment of a ‘Vedant Peeth’, setting up of an ‘ekatma dham’ in Omkareshwar, Sant Ravidas Temple in Sagar, Kalagram at Bharat Bhavan, Dr K.B. Hedgewar Museum in Rampayli, Balaghat, Hindi Bhavan and Atal Bihar Vajpayee memorial in Gwalior. Senior citizens will be taken on pilgrimage through flights and a provision of Rs 50 crores has been made for this.
False budget of liar government: Kamal Nath
Former chief minister and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said the budget presented by the BJP government was a false budget of a liar government. “This is a budget of loans, commissions and annihilation. Everything is just ‘proposed’. If we look at the budget of last year, then only 55 per cent of proposed funds have been granted. This is a budget of just three months that focuses on poll promises and tries to mislead through theatrics,” Nath said.
Nath said when in power, the Congress will give a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to homemaker women.
The ground reality is that last year there were 90 lakh unemployed youth in the state and the number has now grown to one crore, he claimed. The number of schools with no teachers and hospitals with no doctors has grown by 25 per cent. “The budget today was a mere formality with the intent of misleading and fooling the people.”
Some key provisions in the MP Budget 2023-24
Rs 36,950.16 crore for Scheduled Tribes (Sub-Scheme)
Rs 260,86.81 crore for Scheduled Caste (sub-scheme)
Rs 11,406 crore for establishment of government primary schools
Rs 8,000 crore for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
Rs 8,000 crore for Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana
Rs 7,332 crore for Jal Jeevan Mission- National Rural Drinking Water Mission
Rs 6,935 crore assistance for carrying out reforms required as per 15th Finance Commission
Rs 6,728 crore for middle schools
Rs 5,520 crore for Atal Krishi Jyoti Yojana
Rs 4,775 crore for reimbursement to M.P.E.B. for free electricity supply to agricultural pumps/threshers of 5 H.P. and one light connection
Rs 4,641 crore for government high / higher secondary schools
Rs 4,176 crore for grants to local bodies as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission
Rs 4,039 crore for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
Rs 3,996 crore for National Health Mission (NUHM/NRHM)
Rs 3,813 crore for primary schools
