2024-25 Budget of 3.65 lakh Cr. Largest in Madhya Pradesh’s Fiscal History, an 81% jump in allocation. Provision of Rs 26,560 Cr. For Women and Child Development. Rs.18,984 Cr for Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojna

Govt. to recruit 11000 teachers and 7500 police personnel, poor jail inmates to get financial help to pay court fee

The Madhya Pradesh government presented its annual budget for the financial year 2024-25 on Wednesday, allocating a total of Rs 3.65 lakh crore towards various development initiatives. The budget was presented by Finance Minister Jagdish Devda in the state legislative assembly.

Key Allocations and Initiatives:

Health sector: Rs 21,444 crore for the health sector.

Education: The government has planned to recruit 11,000 teachers and 7,500 police personnel.

Agriculture: A significant portion of the budget, Rs 66,605 crore, is allocated to the agriculture sector.

Social Welfare: Rs 18,984 crore has been set aside for the Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana, which provides financial assistance to women which was the biggest factor in winning the last assembly election. Provision of Rs 26,560 crore for women and child development.

Other Highlights:

• For health infrastructure and equipment, a provision of Rs 10,279 crore has been made.
• Under CMGram Sadak Yojana, the finance minister said 8,565 villages were connected through allweather roads by 8,410 roads spanning 19,378 km.
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana: Target for construction of roads: 1,000 km in the financial year 20242025
• Target of road renovation: 2,000 km in FY25.
• For roadways, the government has allocated Rs 10,000 crore for the financial year 202425.
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Provision of Rs 520 crore in the budget financial year 202425. Those women who remain excluded from the scheme will be brought into the fold by the government.
• Provision of Rs 50 crore for Chief Minister Teerth Darshan Scheme
• Provision of Rs 4,725 crore for forest and environment
• Provident fund payment process for government employees will be made online. Employees can be paid immediately after retirement.
• Chief Minister’s Cooperative Milk Producers Promotion Scheme: Provision of Rs 150 crore for implementation of the scheme.
• Estimated cost of KenBetwa Link Project’ is Rs 44,605 ​​crore. This project will be a boon for the people in Bundelkhand region.
• Upon completion of the project, along with irrigation facilities in an 8,11,000hectare area of ​​1,900 villages in 10 districts of the state, availability of drinking water and water to industries will be ensured.
• For education, the government has allocated Rs 22,600 crore
• For Sports and Youth Welfare Department in the year 202425, the government has allocated Rs 586 crore
• For Gaushalas in the state, a provision of Rs 250 crore has been made in the Budget 202425.
• A budget provision Rs 1,081 crore is proposed for the Culture Department and Rs 666 crore is proposed for tourist facilities.
• A provision of Rs 13,596 crore was proposed for the construction and maintenance of irrigation projects.
• A provision of Rs 40,804 crore under the Scheduled Tribes SubPlan to bring the Scheduled Tribes class into the mainstream of society.
• A provision of Rs 27,900 crore is put forward under the Scheduled Caste SubPlan to bring the Scheduled Caste category into the mainstream of society. A budget provision of Rs 1,704 crore is proposed for backward classes, minority welfare, nomadic and seminomadic communities.
• A budget provision of Rs 27,870 crore is proposed for panchayat and rural development.
• A provision of Rs 4,190 crore is proposed for the industry sector in fiscal year 202425, which is about 40% more than the last year.
• A provision of Rs 4,421 crore is proposed for pension and welfare schemes in FY 202425 which is 15% more than the previous fiscal.
• A budget provision of Rs 27,870 crore is proposed for panchayat and rural development for FY 202425.
• A provision of Rs 16,744 crore is proposed for urban development for the current financial year, which is Rs 1,836 crore more than the previous Budget.

Source: Financial Express

Industry Reactions on Budget:

While the Madhya Pradesh Budget 2024-25 has received praise for industry allocations and infrastructure emphasis, it also faces criticism:

Unmet Poll Promises: Opposition leader Umang Singhar criticized the BJP government for “not fulfilling” election promises. Specific unmet commitments include failing to provide the promised Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹2,700 for wheat and ₹3,100 for paddy, as well as not increasing the Ladli Behna Scheme amount from ₹1,250 to ₹3,0001.

Ongoing Mandi Fee: Businesses expressed disappointment as the longstanding demand to abolish the Mandi fee remained unmet. Some factories have reportedly relocated to other states due to this fee, resulting in a significant loss of tax revenue for Madhya Pradesh

Economist Jayantilal Bhandari remarked that the Rs 3.65 lakh crore budget would pave the way for development. However, he expressed concern over the fiscal deficit, which is 4.11 per cent of the state’s GDP, the highest in Madhya Pradesh’s history.