Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh presented budget 2016-17 here today. It’s Singh’s 19th budget.
Main highlights of the budget 2016-17:-
101 online citizen centric services to be provided by the end of 2016-17.
Targets set to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2022.
Amount of “Vidhayak Kshetriya Vikas Nidhi Yojna” increased to ` 1 crore and discretionary grant raised to 5 lakh.
Rs. 210 crore proposed for continuing State Food Subsidy Scheme.
Amendments in control orders under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 proposed.
New Scheme “Mukhya Mantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojna” to protect farms from wild animals etc. with an outlay of 25 crore.
Rs. 80 crore proposed for promotion of offseason vegetables.
Rs. 10 crore proposed for development of Market Yards.
Rs. 5 crore earmarked for “Uttam Chara Utpadan yojna”.
Organic farming will be made more effective and sustainable.
Rs. 15 crore proposed for construction of Poly Houses.
Rs. 10 crore proposed for “Rajiv Gandhi Micro-Irrigation Scheme”.
Water Storage Tanks, Flow Schemes and pipes included in 50 percent subsidy scheme under Irrigation .
Rs. 15 crore earmarked for Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme.
Rs. 1,115 Crore Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project to be implemented.
Rs. 10 crore proposed for purchase of Power Sprayers, Power Tillers and other equipments for farmers.
40 percent additional subsidy to honey bees colonies.
Rs. 12 crore proposed for importing good quality root stocks and new polliniser varieties.
9 lakh square meter area under anti- hail net and 2 lakh square meter will be brought under protected cultivation of high value Vegetables and flowers.
Rs. 10 crore earmarked to improve artificial insemination and breed improvement activities.
Rs. 4.25 crore proposed for development of Sheep and Goat.
Milk procurement price to be enhanced by Rs. 1 per litre. H.P. MILK FED to be provided Grant-in-aid of Rs. 16 crore.
60 percent subsidy to set up Milk Processing and Chilling Units for Dairy Cooperative Societies.
Rs. 226 crore project proposed to rejuvenate the habitats of wild animals. ODF status of whole Himachal proposed by March, 2017.
New Scheme “Panchayat Pashu Dhan Puraskar Yojna” under which Rs. 5 lakh award will be given to 2 best Panchayats, where owners do not abandon their cattle in each Development Block, with an outlay of Rs. 7.80 crore.
New Scheme- “Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojna” to provide housing subsidy of 75 thousand to each house for BPL families of general categories with an outlay of Rs. 25 crore.
Rs. 97 crore earmarked for Rural Housing Schemes.
Rs. 130 crore to be released to three tiers of PRIs.
Rs. 306 crore to be released to Panchayats under 14th Finance Commission.
Rs. 11.14 crore to be released to Panchayats elected unopposed.
Rs. 3 crore for training to elected representatives of PRIs.
Enhancement of Honorarium of Representatives of PRIs and ULBs.
Rs. 10 crore for construction of Alternate Roads in Shimla Town.
Rs. 10 crore for construction of Parking for ULBs and Rs. 10 crore for Children Parks. Special grant of 4.50 crore for Shimla M.C.
Death caused by electrocution and injuries caused by dog bites, stray and domestic animals covered in Relief Manual.
New Scheme “Lal Bahadur Shastri Kamgar evam Shahri Ajeevika Yojna” (LAKSHYA) launched in all merged wards of Municipal Corporation and newly created Nagar Panchayats to provide basic civic amenities and livelihood.
Rs. 248 crore proposed for Disaster Management.
Rs. 338 crore for Minor Irrigation schemes covering 18 thousand hectare to be funded under PMKSY.
Rs. 35 crore for installation of Hand Pumps.
Rs. 245 crore earmarked for Minor irrigation schemes.
Rs. 60 crore allocated to accelerate the completion of Nadaun and Phina Singh Irrigation Projects.
Rs. 65 crore for Command Area Development works.
Rs. 425 crore earmarked for IPH Department to meet energy charges of water supply and irrigation schemes.
Capacity addition of 265 MW Hydro power in State Sector in 2016-17.
2.5 MW Solar Hybrid Project to be constructed in Kaza.
Rs. 410 crore provided to HPSEBL for subsidising electricity to Domestic and Agriculture Consumers.
“Himachal Bureau of Investment” to ensure speedy clearances to new investments for employment generation.
Rs. 10 crore provided to “State Mission on Food Processing.”
New Scheme “Chief Minister Start Up/ New Industries Scheme” launched. It includes 4 percent Interest subvention upto a loan of Rs. 10 lakh. Purchase preference to such industries. Stamp duty at the rate of three percent. No inspection of new industries for three years without permission of Head of the Department. Provisional registration within 15 days etc.
Consent fees for green and orange industries to be reduced. District Employment Exchanges to be converted into Model Career Guidance Centres.
Exemption of VAT, Registration Fee and Token Tax for Electric vehicles for five years.
Rs. 10 crore for construction of New Bus Stands.
Rs. 250 crore provided as grant and equity to HRTC.
Rs. 8 crore seed money to establish 4 Transport Nagars in PPP mode.
Rs. 50 crore for installation of Steel Crash Barriers.
New Scheme- “Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojna.” launched to provide last mile connectivity to villages/habitations with an outlay of ” Rs. 50 crore.
Himachal Pradesh Road Project 2nd Phase worth ` 3,200 crore approved.
All dealers covered under Group Accidental Insurance scheme and insurance cover enhanced to ` 3 lakh.
Solar Cooker and Solar lanterns will be exempted from VAT.
VAT on LED lights reduced from 13.5 to 5 percent.
Small Traders with turnover upto Rs. 30 lakh covered under lump-sum tax payment scheme at the rate of 1 percent.
Dealers up to turnover of Rs. 1.50 crore covered under Deemed Assessment Scheme.
Entry Tax for existing Industry and new industry reduced from 2 percent to 1 percent and 1 percent to half percent respectively.
Entertainment duty on Ropeways and existing cinema halls reduced to 10 percent.
No entertainment duty on new cinema halls for five years.
Meritorious Students of 10th and 12th class to be given 10 thousand Net books under “Rajiv Gandhi Digital Yojna.”
New Scheme “Mukhya Mantri Shikshak Samman Yojna” under which one year extension in service to teachers who consistently give 100 percent results in Board Examinations for a period of five years in the subjects to be notified by the Education Department.
New Scheme- “Mukhya Mantri Adarsh Vidyalya Yojna” launched to provide State of Art Infrastructural and Teaching facilities in Two Senior Secondary Schools in each Constituency with an outlay of ` 30 crore.
New Scheme -“Mukhya Mantri Gyandeep Yojna” launched to provide interest subvention of 4 percent to all Himachali Students availing education loan upto Rs. 10 lakh.
New Scheme -“Mukhya Mantri Vardi yojna” launched to provide uniform to students of +1 and +2 classes.
All the vacant posts of DPE/PET and Drawing Master in Senior Secondary School/High Schools.
The honorarium of Gram Vidya Upasaks(EGS) doubled.
Primary Assistant Teachers will be regularized on completion training as per NCTE norms.
Public Libraries will be strengthened in the State.
Rs. 100 crore for Skill Development Allowance.
B.Voc. courses in ten Colleges.
Grant-in-aid for District, State and National level fairs enhanced.
Rs. 1 crore earmarked for State Youth Board.
Rs. 15 crore for Construction of Multipurpose Indoor Complexes at District Headquarters.
Grant -in-aid to Sports Associations and Medal winners enhanced.
Rs. 1 crore for construction of Press Clubs.
The prize money of Award for Developmental Journalism enhanced.
New Scheme -“Himachal Pradesh Patrakar Kalyan Yojna” launched for welfare of serving and retired accredited Journalists.
New Scheme -“Himachal Universal Health Protection Scheme.” launched to provide Universal Health Care to the people of Himachal Pradesh.
New Scheme “Panchayat Balika Gaurav Puruskar” of Rs. 10 lakh each announced to 15 Panchayats where there will be best female birth rate relative to male birth rate.
Rs. 1 Crore for Intramural Research Fund.
Marriage grant under “Mukhya Manrti Kanya Daan Yojna” increased from ` 25 thousand to ` 40 thousand.
Stamp duty for registration of house in the name of women to be reduced to three percent.
Marriage grant of residents of “Nari Seva Sadans” increased from Rs. 25 thousand to Rs. 51 thousand.
Cash grant raised from Rs. 10 thousand to Rs. 1 lakh to any person providing credible information about illegal female foeticide.
Life Insurance cover for Safai Karamcharis and persons working in Sewerage Treatment Plants.
Social Security Pension increased from ` 600 to Rs. 650 per month.
Residential institution for 50 Mentally Challenged Children proposed in Shimla.
Special hostel having capacity of 150 girls to be made operational at Sundernagar.
Pension to persons with 70 percent disability and persons aged above 80 years increased from Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 1,200 per month.
New Scheme of Monthly pension of young widows with less than forty five years of age with child/children to be enhanced from Rs. 600 to Rs. 1,200 per month.
The lump-sum grant and annuity to recipients of Paramvir Chakra, Ashok Chakra and Mahavir Chakra to be enhanced.
Rs. 5 crore provided for War Memorial Museum at Dharamsala.
Seven Fire Posts to be opened.
Remuneration to Home Guards enhanced from Rs. 280 to Rs. 350 per day.
National Law University to be opened near Shimla.
Rs. 10 crore for Government contribution to Social Security of unorganized sectors.
More than 13 thousand functional posts in different departments will be filled up.
6 per cent Dearness Allowance & Dearness Relief to the State Government Employees/Pensioners to be released.
5 percent Interim Relief to the regular State Government Employees and Pensioners.
Contract employees completing five years service as on 31 March and 30th September, 2016 to be regularized.
Enhancement of emoluments of Contract Employees by 50 percent of grade pay.
Daily Wage increased from Rs. 180 to Rs. 200.
Daily Wagers completing seven years of service as on 31st March and 30th September, 2016 will also be regularized.
Part-Time workers completing 8 years of service as on 31st March, and 30th September, 2016 will be made daily wagers.
Enhancement in honorarium of Part-time Water Carriers from Rs. 1,700 to Rs. 1,900.
Enhancement of Grant-in-aid to Water Guards from ` 1,350 to ` 1,500.
Enhancement of honorarium of Tailoring Teachers from ` 2,000 to ` 2,300.
Grant-in-aid for Panchayat Chawkidars raised from 1,850 to 2,050 per month.
Rs. 35 crore for construction of New Government Residential Buildings.
Rs. 20 crore for Repair of Government Residential Houses.
Rs. 30 crore for Police Housing.
Rs. 10 crore for construction of Teshils/Sub-Tehsils and Revenue Housing.
The budget for 2016-17 proposed for Rs. 32,593 crore.
