Chhattisgarh Finance Minister O P Choudhary on Friday presented the state’s annual Budget, which saw a 20 percent increase from last year in capital expenditure and a major push for ‘Modi ki guarantee’ programs – campaign promises made in the state by the BJP.
No increase was announced in existing tax rates, but the state’s revenue was estimated to increase by 22 percent.
The Rs 1.47 lakh crore budget also came with a target of doubling the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) from Rs 5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore in the next five years.
“The capital expenditure of the state for FY 2024-2025 is proposed to be around Rs 22,300 crore, which is 15 percent of the total Budget and 20 percent higher than last year,” Choudhary said.
Among the major sector-wise allocations in the Budget, the education sector was allocated the most at Rs 21,489 crore – 15.95 percent of the Budget. The agriculture sector got the second highest allocation at 14.05 percent, the rural sector got 12.06 percent and infrastructure got 11 percent.
Compared to last year’s Budget, four departments saw a significant rise in budgetary allocation. Women and Child Development Department, which got Rs 5,683 crore, saw a 112 percent rise in its allocation, followed by the Public Health Engineering Department, which received Rs 5,048 crore allocation, a 97 percent jump. The Mineral Resources Department received Rs 1,580 crore, an 80 percent hike, and the Panchayat and Rural Development Department got Rs 17,529 crore, a 70 percent rise.
On the Information Technology front, Rs 266 crore will be spent on advanced digital technologies and IT-enabled services at all administrative departments from state headquarters to gram panchayats.
A significant chunk of the Budget will be spent on fulfilling 11 “Modi ki guarantee” promises.
These include Rs 8,369 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana housing scheme to provide houses for 18 lakh poor people. Also, Rs 3,000 crore has been set aside for the Mahatari Vandan Yojna, under which Rs 12,000 will be given per year to married women based on certain criteria. Allocations for ‘Modi ki guarantee’ programs also include Rs 10,000 crore for Krishak Unnati Yojna, where Rs 3,100 per quintal is promised to farmers for 21 quintals of paddy, Rs 4,500 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission for tapwater supply to all households, Rs 500 crore for landless laborers who were promised Rs 10,000 per year, and Rs 35 crore for free visits to the Ram Temple for Chhattisgarh residents.
Regarding the challenges faced by the state, the finance minister said, “The per capita income of Chhattisgarh is below the national average. The growth rate (of GSDP), too, is below the national average, which is a worry and a challenge for us. We need to bring in private investment and stabilize the eco-system for the private sector.”
Reacting to the Budget, former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel of the Congress said, “Modi ji went into the elections giving guarantees. Now, the burden of Modi ji’s guarantee is so much that a small state like Chhattisgarh is not able to bear it. They have increased the size of the Budget and are talking about revenue surplus… Unfortunate announcements have been made to give new names to the ongoing schemes of the Congress government in the state and present them as new schemes. Exactly the same as Modi ji had done at the Centre.”
