Assembly passes ₹1.28 lakh cr budget, focus on agri, welfare
RANCHI: The Jharkhand assembly on Friday passed a state budget of ₹1.28 lakh crore for the financial year 2024-25 after a debate on a cut motion brought by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Naveen Jaiswal.
Jharkhand finance minister Rameshwar Oraon presented the budget on Tuesday.
The important features of the budget include provision for repairing the kitchen and store of 1,000 schools, special training on horticultural crops for 50,000 farmers, ₹200 crore for the distribution of agricultural equipment, increasing the loan waiver limit of farmers from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh, ₹380 crore for the deepening and renovation of ponds, 1,500 deep holes boring, and construction of 4,000 percolation tanks under the Jan Nidhi Sub Plan.
Apart from this, other salient features of the budget include the creation of 90 million mandays in MREGA, ₹4831 crore for the Abua Housing Scheme, ₹2238 crore for water resources for irrigation facilities and expansion of irrigation capacity, ₹13.50 crore for the construction of Anganwadi centres.
Speaking in support of the cut motion, BJP legislator Naveen Jaiswal criticised the government on the issue of poor health infrastructure in the state, stating that the radiological and pathological examination facility is not user-friendly in the premier health institute of the state, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). “MRI machine is not working at RIMS. Health map charges bill from Ayushmaan patient. The 10-story building of Sadar Hospital is waiting for inauguration. The CT scan machine is not working at RIMS,” said Jaiswal. He also said corruption in providing funds for the Abua Awas scheme and payment to grassroots level health workers.
Another BJP legislator, Amit Mandal, supporting the cut motion, criticised Congress legislators for targeting sitting ministers of their party in the JMM-Congress-RJD government of the state. He also discussed the need to pay attention to the agencies selected for conducting recruitment tests in the state, pointing out that blacklisted companies have been assigned the job, leading to question paper leaks.
All Jharkhand Student Union (AJSU) Party legislator Sunita Choudhary criticised the running of Industrial Training Institutes in PPP mode, stating that it does not benefit the poor.
“All ITIs are running on PPP mode. It is not benefitting the poor as only 15 per cent are allowed to study at a fee fixed by the government. ITI should be run by the government,” said Choudhary.
She also raised concerns about poor health infrastructure and demanded transparency in the recruitment examinations conducted by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Speaking against the motion, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator Jiga Susasa Horo attacked the BJP, alleging that former chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) “on the behest of the BJP” when he was attempting to improve condition of the poor.
Congress legislator Naman Vixel Kongari raised the issue of man-elephant conflict and expressed concern over Soren’s arrest, stating that Soren had been falsely implicated in a case.
Congress legislators also targeted the BJP for attempting to remove secular and socialist words from the preamble of the Indian constitution.
JMM legislator Baijnath Ram talked about the salient features of the budget and highlighted the government’s plan to construct 15,000 km of roads in rural areas for the first time.
Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) legislator Vinod Singh emphasised the need for formulating a policy on government land and provision of Ayushman Cards for those without ration cards.
Parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam said, “The government is committed to development and has taken steps to provide 450,000 Abua Awas in the days to come. We have paid proper attention to pension payment and the construction of roads in rural areas.”
BJP walked out during Alam’s speech on the Opposition’s demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the JSSC paper leak case.