IN LAST BUDGET AHEAD OF POLLS, MP FOCUSES ON FARMERS, HEALTH

In the last budget before the assembly elections later this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government focused on farmers, school education and health infrastructure, allocating ₹37,498 crore for the agriculture sector alone.

In his budget speech, finance minister Jayant Malaiya who presented a budget of over ₹2 lakh crore for 2018-19 here on Wednesday, also announced that the state government will provide a 40% capital subsidy to those who open hospitals with ten or more beds in rural areas and a 50% capital subsidy to those who open hospitals in tribal areas.

Malaiya announced several provisions in the agriculture sector including ₹3,650 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana, ₹2,000 crore for the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme, ₹1,000 crore for the Mukhya Mantri Bhavantar Yojana and ₹418 crore for the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Malaiya said under Bhavantar Bhugtan yojana, the state government had deposited ₹1,500 crore in the bank accounts of over 10 lakh farmers.

He also announced that 27 micro-irrigation schemes would be started in the state in the catchment of the Narmada river to use its waters for irrigating 9.1 lakh hectares of land.

For selected Smart Cities in the state, Malaiya said, a provision of ₹700 crore has been made

In education, a provision of ₹21,724 crore has been made for school education, which, Malaiya said was 21 % more than last year.

“In 2003, there were 55,980 primary schools in the state, which has now increased to 83,890 ”, he said.The opposition however, was not impressed.

Ajay Singh, leader of the opposition later said it was a lacklustre budget. “There is nothing much in it for the people of the state, be it unemployed youth, farmers or common man,” he said.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan meanwhile said it was a budget meant for the welfare of the people, especially the farmers, the poor, the youth and women.

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