Chhattisgarh budget focuses on farmers, economically weaker sections

Presenting a budget of Rs 97,106 crore for 2021-22 during the Assembly session, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel pointed out that it was to ensure the prosperity of farmers and economically weaker sections in the state while being true to the government’s motto of “Gadhbo Nava Chhattisgarh” (create a new Chhattisgarh).

Among the new schemes in the budget was the Kaushalya Maternity Scheme to incentivize mothers on the birth of a second girl child. Baghel said the budget has a 38 per cent provision for the social sector, 39 per cent for the economic sector and 23 per cent for the general service sector. He said it defines the concept of development through the acronym HEIGHT, where h stands for holistic development, e for education (equal opportunity for all), i for infrastructure, g for governance, h for health and t for transformation.

The Congress government has allotted Rs 175 crore for the Godhan Nyay Yojana launched in 2020 — a pilot project to buy cow dung from cattle herders and convert it to organic vermicompost. Baghel informed the Assembly that Rs 80 crore was paid under the scheme and more than 71,000 quintals of vermicompost manufactured by several SHGs in the state.

Further, the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana for direct cash transfers to farmers was allotted Rs 5,760 crore, up by Rs 660 crore from last year when the scheme was launched.

Baghel said industrial parks will be built in rural and urban settings across the state. He also announced 119 new English medium schools, 21 student hostels, 8 colleges, while allotting Rs 372 crore for operation of hostels for SC/ST students. He also announced Rs 300 crore towards setting up three medical colleges.

Baghel also announced an increase in the pay of ‘Swacchata Didis’ working in the state.

After celebrating its second year in power as ‘Ram Van Gaman Paripath Paryatan Rath Yatra’, the Congress-led Chhattisgarh government set aside Rs 30 crore “in view of reverence and popularity of general public towards Sri Ram Van Gaman Tourism Circuit” to give impetus to the identified works, Baghel said, pointing to recognition the state has received nationally.

However, the opposition BJP accused the government of tabling a “dependent” budget. Former CM and BJP leader Raman Singh said, “Aping and changing names of the Central government schemes to appropriate them is not going to last long. CM Baghel seems to be too busy patting his own back,” he said.

State BJP president Vishnudeo Sai called the budget “visionless”. “I want to ask how does the government plan on creating a new Chhattisgarh when they haven’t even set aside money for important issues.”