Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Presents budget for the financial year 2019-20

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday presented a Rs 91,542-crore budget for the financial year 2019-20 in the state Assembly. He said the budget has taken care of all the sections of society and will welfare all.

Baghel said: "I am presenting this budget with the intent of 'welfare of all' and want to assure that will use every penny collected from people's hard-earned money through taxes for their welfare only."
He presented his government's first budget.

The motto of the Rs 91,542crore budget was "Bahujan Hitay, Bahujan Sukhay" (for the happiness and benefit of the largest number of people), Baghel said in his speech.

As part of the paddy production promotion plan, the government proposes to allocate Rs 5,000 crore for purchasing the grain from farmers at a price of Rs 2,500 per quintal. The government had decided to waive short-term farm loans, whether it was taken from rural and cooperative banks or commercial banks in the public sector. Rs 5,000 crore has been proposed for the purpose," Baghel said.

"Under the 'Mukhyamantri Khadyan Sahayata Yojana' (foodgrain assistance scheme), the government has earmarked an amount of Rs 4,000 crore to provide 35 kg rice at a subsidized price on every ration card," he added

In a major relief for domestic power consumers, Baghel announced that power bills will be cut to half with effect from March 1, 2019. The benefit of this half rebate will be extended to all consumers in the domestic sector for up to 400 units.

The budget also hiked the allotment under the MLA Local Area Development Fund from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore per year.

Rs 45.84 crore have been provided for `Response Allowance' to the police personnel, he said.
Better health schemes will be implemented for providing "Universal Health Care to All", he said.


"Students from Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Other Backward Castes living in hostel and shelter homes will be entitled to get a scholarship of Rs 1,000 every month at pre-matriculate level. Earlier the amount was Rs 900. Similarly, post-matriculate students of related categories will get Rs 700 per month as food allowance which was earlier Rs 500. The scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 27.57 crore," he said.

The budget does not impose new taxes, he said. The state's "gross financial loss" is estimated to be
Rs 10,881 crore, which is 2.99 percent of the state's gross domestic product and within the prescribed limit, Baghel said.