MP govt presents Rs 3.14 trn Budget, alots Rs 8,000 cr for women's welfare

The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday presented a Rs 3.14 lakh crore Budget for 2023-24 with a provision of Rs 8,000 crore for

Mukhkyamantri Ladli Behna Yojna, a new scheme to be rolled out for the welfare women in the state where the Assembly polls are due this year-end.

No new taxes were announced in the Budget which was presented by state Finance Minister Jadgish Devda in the Assembly. He described it as the "Budget of the public".

Devda announced a provision of Rs 8,000 crore for the Mukhkyamantri Ladli Behna Yojna, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's flagship scheme.

The Ladli Behna scheme will be rolled out from March 5 in the state. Under the scheme, women will be given Rs 1,000 assistance per month with certain riders including that they are not Income Tax payee, as per a government official.

Devda said the budget has a provision of Rs 36,950.16 crore for Scheduled Tribes (Sub-Scheme), Rs 2,60,86.81 crore for Scheduled Castes (sub-scheme), Rs 11,406 crore for the establishment of government primary schools, and Rs 7,332 crore for Jal Jeevan Mission under the National Rural Drinking Water Mission.

Besides, there is a provision of Rs 6,935 crore for assistance for carrying out reforms required as per the 15th Finance Commission (report), and Rs 6,728 crore for middle schools, he said.

Devda presented the state budget amid ruckus and walkout by the Opposition Congress members over the hike in the LPG cylinder prices.

"There is a provision of total appropriation amounting to Rs 3,14,024.84 crore, which is 13 per cent more than the previous year, and total net expenditure of Rs 2,81,553.62 crore, he said.

The Atmanirbhar MP Budget has been prepared in a mission mode, keeping in view the objective of the self-sufficient Madhya Pradesh, the minister said.

Describing it as "Budget of the public, he said that an attempt has been made to include the suggestions of the public from representing different sectors in preparing the budget.

He said that the budget has a revenue surplus of Rs 412.76 crore and the fiscal deficit is estimated at 4.02 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product.

Referring to the estimated revenue receipts, the minister said The estimated revenue receipts are Rs 2,25,709.90 crore, which include state's own tax amount of Rs 86,499.98 crore, state's share of central taxes of Rs 80,183.67 crore, non-tax revenue of Rs 14,913.10 crore and grants-in-aid received from the Centre of Rs 44,113.15 crore."

Congress members including former ministers Tarun Bhanot, Vijay Laxmi Sadho and Jitu Patwari created ruckus in the House over the LPG price hike issue the moment Devda started reading out the budget proposals.

Later, the Congress members led by former chief minister Kamal Nath staged a walkout from the House.

"The central government has increased the price of an LPG cylinder by Rs 50, Rs 300 on the commercial cylinder, causing a lot of hardships to the people," Bhanot told reporters.

He demanded that like the Rajasthan government, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh also provide LPG cylinders at Rs 500 each (to people below poverty line).

Earlier in the morning, Congress members staged a protest in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Assembly premises on the issue of hike in the price of LPG cylinders.