Gairsain is new administrative division
Rawat presents ₹57,400.32 cr budget, health sector gets highest allocation
GAIRSAIN: Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat declared the state’s summer capital Gairsain in Chamoli district as a new administrative division while presenting the state budget for 2021-22 on the fourth day of the assembly session here on Thursday.
Rawat made the announcement to mark completion of one year of declaration of Gairsain as the summer capital.
Making the announcement in the House, he said, “On the completion of one year as the summer capital, Gairsain would be now the new division comprising four districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Almora with its headquarters in Gairsain.”
The state already has two divisions - Garhwal and Kumaon.
“The new division will have its divisional commissioner and deputy inspector general sitting in Gairsain,” said
Rawat.
He also announced that “to speed up the development of Gairsain, tenders of development works under its master plan would be floated in one month.”
Among other announcements regarding Gairsain in his budgetary speech, Rawat announced that a food processing unit would be set up in the summer capital where the government will also plant 20,000 fruit bearing trees.
Earlier, the chief minister presented a state budget for financial year 2021-22 of ₹57,400.32 cr with revenue estimates of ₹57,024.22 cr.
“The budget is estimated to have a fiscal deficit of ₹8,984 cr which would be 3.23% of the state GDP,” he said.
Informing the House on the provisions under various heads, Rawat said, “There has been a provision of ₹20,581 cr for finance, taxes, planning, secretariat and general services which is highest in the budget.”
Apart from this, a provision has been made for ₹3,188 cr for medical and family welfare, ₹2313 cr for rural development, ₹2,650 cr for urban development, water supply and housing, ₹2,304 cr for police and jails and ₹1,988 cr for welfare schemes.
The budget also comprised a provision of ₹2,369cr for public works department, ₹2,420 cr for welfare of SC &ST, ₹490 cr for transport, ₹235cr for tourism and ₹1,206 cr for forest.
The government also allotted a budget of ₹24 cr to provide free of cost school bags and shoes to students of class 1 to 8 in the government schools under a new initiative. The House, during the fourth day, also passed two amendment bills. Later after completion of the fourth day, the government also organised a cultural programme with lamp lighting to mark the completion of one year of Gairsain as the summer capital.
The Congress, however, termed the budget as “visionless”.
“The budget has nothing for employment which is a major issue in the state. It is totally a vision less,” said Suryakant Dhasmana, Congress state unit vice-president.
Minister and government spokesperson Madan Kaushik said, “The budget has everything on development from Gairsain to all other places of state. It is for the inclusive development having provisions for all sections of society.”
THE CM PRESENTED A STATE BUDGET FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2021-22 OF ₹57,400. 32 CR WITH REVENUE ESTIMATES OF ₹57,024.22 CR.