No big announcement as govt focuses on existing schemes
Outlays for health and education sectors hiked to 15% and 23%
CHANDIGARH: Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Friday avoided making any big accouchement in the budget for the social welfare sector. The budget just focuses on the existing schemes.
The finance minister’s budget speech also had no mention of ₹2,500 per month unemployment allowance to the youth, one of the major promises in the Congress manifesto in the run up to the 2017 assembly elections.
The government increased the outlays for health and education sectors to ₹4,675 crore and ₹13,092 crore, by increasing the outlays to 15% and 23%, respectively.
The government, which was providing free education to all students up to Class 8 and up to Class 12 to girl students, expanded the scheme by announcing free education to all in government-run schools till Class 12. The budget has earmarked ₹100 crore for setting up of additional 4,150 classrooms in 2020-21, whereas ₹75 crore has been allocated for repairing the unsafe school buildings.
The government also plans to install 10KW solar power plants in 259 government senior secondary smart schools and water harvesting system in all senior secondary schools. A sum of ₹25 crore has been allocated for five new degree colleges in the state. The government also announced to set up Sri Guru Teg Bahadur State Law University in Tarn Taran district.
Among new announcements in the health sector, ₹15 crore has been allocated for setting up of intensive care units in district hospitals. Diagnostic facilities such as CT scan, ultrasound machines, MRI and cath lab, will also be provided in some district hospitals under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The government expects ₹200 crore from private players under the initiative. A sum of ₹221 crore has been kept for Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana.
The document has a mention of setting up of PGI satellite centre in Ferozepur, which was announced three years ago but could not be see the light of the day due to funds. With the announcement of setting up of 19 new industrial training institutes (ITIS), upgrading the already existing 19 ITIS and earmarking ₹41 crores for government polytechnic colleges, the budget aims at giving a push to skill training.
NEW SCHEMES FOR WOMEN WITH A TWIST
The budget also increases outlay for the social justice and empowerment department to ₹901 crore (18% more as compared to 2019-20). With 31% increase in allocation, the budget for social security and women and child development departments has increased to ₹2,388 crore, but there is no increase in social security pension.
The government announced new Kasturba Gandhi Mahila Yojana for women. But it will be an umbrella scheme with an aim to converge the benefits under all existing women-centric scheme being run by various departments. The government announced Mata Tripta Mahila Yojana which will be implemented by clubbing all state and central-sponsored schemes.