Punjab finance min Cheema presents AAP govt’s 1st budget

STATE ANNOUNCED PROVIDING 300 UNITS OF FREE POWER, SETTING UP OF 117 MOHALLA CLINICS AND UPGRADING 100 SCHOOLS AMONG OTHER PROPOSALS

CHANDIGARH: Presenting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s first budget, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday announced providing 300 units of free electricity to households from July 1, setting up of 117 Mohalla Clinics and upgrading 100 schools as ‘schools of eminence’ in the state among other proposals.

The Bhagwant Mann-led government also announced setting up cyber-crime control units in all districts of the state while keeping its focus on health, education, agriculture and police modernisation.

Cheema did not announce any new tax in the budget for 2022-23 and chose to rely on an expected jump in revenue receipts and buoyancy in GST collections by plugging loopholes for funding the proposed expenditure in the budget.

The budget of the government led by AAP, which came to power while making poll promises in the form of “guarantees”, remained silent on giving Rs 1,000 to each woman in the state.However, Cheema said his government will soon fulfil this “guarantee”.

The finance minister stressed that the government will fulfil its promise of giving 300 units of free electricity per month to each household from July 1, saying it has already planned to finance this scheme by cutting wasteful expenditure and through enhancement of own tax revenue.

Providing 300 units of free power will put an additional burden of ₹ 1,800 crore on the state exchequer, said Cheema. The AAP government had announced giving 300 units of free power to every household from July 1.

Cheema presented the first paperless budget in the ongoing assembly session and this step is expected to save₹ 21 lakh per annum.Further, cyber-crime control rooms shall be set up in all districts with an outlay of ₹ 30 crore, said Cheema. “Police have to develop new strategies to deal with crime and criminals. It is important that Punjab police personnel learn about new strategies,” said Cheema.

“We accord top priority to the safety and security of our men and women. During our tenure, the entire state would be covered with CCTV network to check the crime and tap criminals, said Cheema.

On the stubble burning issue, Cheema said various possibilities and solutions will be explored and for this ₹ 200 crore has been earmarked in the budget.

“Reflecting our priority to the agriculture sector, I propose an allocation of ₹ 11,560 crore in FY 2022-23,” said Cheema.

Cheema also announced ‘Farishtey’ scheme on the pattern of Delhi whereby the road accident victims will be given free treatment and the helper would be felicitated.