Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presented Rs. 50,192 crores Budget 2021-22 in the Assembly today.

As per the revised estimates for 2020-21, the state is expected to generate total revenue receipts are expected to be Rs. 35,588 crore. Total revenue expenditure as per revised estimates for 2020-21 is expected to be Rs. 36,011 crore. Thus the total revenue deficit is expected to be Rs. 423 crore as per revised estimates.

The total budget of the State for 2021-22 is Rs. 50,192 crore. During 2021-22, total revenue receipts are estimated at Rs. 37,028 crore whereas, total revenue expenditure was estimated to be Rs. 38,491 crore. Thus total revenue deficit is estimated at Rs. 1,463 crore.

This budget is based on the following:

1.       Women welfare and empowerment

2.       Expansion of social security net

3.       Strengthening and expansion of health services

4.       Increasing income of farmers

5.       Swaran Jayanti Aashray Yojana

6.       Employment creation

7.       Infrastructure and industrial development

8.       Quality education

Women welfare and empowerment

•         Social security pension of Rs. 1,000 per month to elderly women in the age group of 65-69 years under “Swaran Jayanti Nari Sambal Yojana”. Additional amount of Rs. 55 crore will be spent.

•         The new scheme ‘Shagun’ started. Under this scheme, a grant of Rs. 31,000 at the time of marriage to the daughters of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes from BPL families will be given. Rs. 50 crore will be spent on the scheme.

•         Two girls of BPL families will now be given Post-Birth grant of Rs. 21,000 as fix deposit.

•         Several initiatives and schemes announced for Self Help Groups.

•         Gas cylinder refill to 3 lakh families under ‘Himachal Grihani Suvidha Yojana’, in the next year.

•         Women Help Desk will be established in 136 police stations.

•         25% reservation to women for recruitment as constables and sub-inspector in police in a phased manner.

•         250 “Bank Correspondent Sakhi” to be designated by the banks.

Expansion of social security net

•         40,000 new beneficiaries to be brought under Social Security Pension Schemes. Additional amount of Rs. 60 crore will be spent.

•         6,60,000 beneficiaries to get Social Security Pension. Total expenditure of Rs. 1,050 crore will be incurred.

Expansion of Health Services

•         PET scan in IGMC, CT scan and MRI machines in RPMC Tanda and CT scan machines in medical colleges in Hamirpur and Nahan will be installed at a cost of Rs. 70 crore.

•         Super Speciality Hospital in Chamyana, New OPD Block and Trauma Centre in IGMC will be dedicated to the people.

•         All persons above the age of 70 years and orphans living in Bal Ashrams will be covered free of cost under HIMCARE.

•         Mission “Drishti” will be started for free eye check up and providing of free spectacles to the students of class 6 to 10 in Government schools.

•                   A detailed study to be conducted in collaboration with NITI Aayog to tackle the problem of malnutrition among children and women in the State.

•         An amount of Rs. 250 crore will be spent for providing health related services under Ayushmaan Bharat, HIMCARE, Mukhya Mantri Chikitsa Sahayta Kosh, free medicines, Sahara, Sammaan etc.

Increasing the income of farmers

•         For making available the high density fruit plants at reasonable prices, the “Swaran Jayanti Smridh Bagwan Yojana” will be started.

•         Agriculture Produce Protection (Anti-hail net) scheme (KUSHY) will continue in 2021-22 with an outlay of Rs. 60 crore.

•         For promoting research in horticulture and agriculture, a research fund of Rs 5 crore will be set up for both the Universities.

•         Under Word Bank funded Horticulture Development Scheme, five lakh fruit plants will be imported, small irrigation schemes for 8000 hectare command area will be developed, Gene Repository will be established in Horticulture University Nauni and Apple Juice Concentrate line will be established in Parala plant of Shimla district.

•         50,000 new farmers will be brought under “Prakritik Kheti Khushhaal Kisaan Yojana”.

•         Milk procurement price increased by Rs. 2 per litre.

•         Constitution of an Expert Group to restructure various schemes and enhancing income of the farmers.

Swaran Jayanti Aashray Yojana

•         Under “Swaran Jayanti Ashraya Yojana” 12000 beneficiaries will be provided houses equipped with all basic facilities.

•         By 2022 all eligible applicants of SC category will be provided house

Employment Creation

•         Expansion in the scope of “Mukhya Manti Swavlamban Yojna. An amount of Rs. 100 crore will be spent.

•         7,000 unemployed youth will be provided employment in private sector through Rozgar Melas and campus interviews.

•         Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to extend increased assistance to more workers.

•         Our Government has kept a target of filling up 30,000 functional posts in 2021-22: 4,000 posts in different categories in Health Department, 4,000 posts of different category teachers in Education Department; 8,000 posts of Multi task Part Time Workers in Education Department; 5,000 posts of Multi Task Part Time Workers in PWD and 4,000 posts of Para Fitter, Pump Operator & Multi Task Part Time Workers in Jal Shakti Department. In addition to this functional posts of Police Personnel, Technical Posts in State Electricity Board, Drivers & Conductors in HRTC, Junior Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Officials in Revenue Department, Doctors & Officials in Animal Husbandry, staff for Urban Local Bodies, Technical Assistant and gram Rojgar Sahayak in Panchayats, JOA (IT), Teachers & Instructors in Technical Education Department and class-IV employees, etc. will also be filled.

•         Online registration for Skill Development Allowance and Industrial Skill Development Allowance.

Infrastructure and Industrial Development

•         Wayside amenities, Himachali Handicraft and traditional products sale centres will be developed near Atal Tunnel (on both sides) for convenience of the tourists.

•         5,000 Part Time Multi Task Workers will be engaged for maintenance of road.

•         Ground breaking of MoUs worth Rs. 10,000 crore soon.

•         Bulk Drug Park to be established in district Una.

•         Electronics and Power Equipment manufacturing hub in Nalagarh.

•         Toy manufacturing clusters to be established.

•         Under PMGSY, 3125 major rural road will be upgraded.

•         W-metal beam crash barriers will be installed on140 km road.

•         Target of bringing total road length to 40,000 Kilometers and 34,000 Kilometers of road with Black Top by 2022.

•                   During 2021-22 the Public Works department will carry out metalling and tarring of 2000 kms road, construction of 1000 kms motorable road, cross drainage on 945 km road, construction of 80 bridges, road linkage to 90 villages, upgradation of 800 km road and increasing the life span by renewal of 2200 km road.

•         Large numbers of projects to be started in Shimla and Dharamshala under Smart City Project and those completed to be dedicated.

•         Newly formed Municipal Corporations in Solan, Palampur and Mandi will be given Special Grant of Rs one crore each and each of the newly constituted Nagar Panchayats will be given a Special Grant of Rs 20 lakhs.

•         Completed Sewage Schemes and Sewage Treatment plants will be dedicated to people and worm new schemes will be started.

•         Swaran Jayanti Urja Neeti to be brought out and Power Vision Document-2030 to be prepared.

•         Initiatives to improve the quality of power supply.

•         Multimedia publicity campaign highlighting local attractions for revival of tourism.

•         19 tourism schemes in Manali, Janjehli, Mandi, Dharamshala, Kyarighat, Jwalamukhi, Kangra, Shimla, Chamba, Bir-billing etc. with a cost of Rs. 218 crore to be dedicated.

•         3 more districts i.e. Solan, Hamirpur and Bilaspur to be covered completely under Jal Jeevan Mission.

•         Budget of Rs. 1,016 Crore for construction of Mandi Airport and expansion of Shimla, Kullu and Dharamsala Airports.

•         Urban areas will be brought to the ODF standard through effective waste management.

•         200 old buses will be replaced by new buses, including electric buses.

•         Rs. 200 crore will be spent for expansion of Rail lines

Quality of education

•         Government welcomes “National Education Policy 2020” and resolves to implement it.

•         “Top 100 Scholarship Scheme” will be started.

•         Establishment of 100 Math Labs in schools.

•         Coaching and career counseling classes for Government school students.

•         “Him Darpan Shiksha Ekikrit Portal” to be established for making education system more effective.

•         The diet money for participants in different tournaments doubled.

•         100 cluster schools, 68 senior secondary schools and 9 colleges will be brought under “Swaran Jayanti Gyanoday Cluster Utkrisht Vidyalaya Yojana”.

•         8 Technical Education institutions in Jeori, Sundernagar, Kumarsain, Arki, Gangath, Karsog, Rehan and Bandla with a cost of Rs. 400 crore will be completed and dedicated.

•         Honorarium to SMC teachers and IT teachers enhanced.

Others

•         Increase in the honorarium of Asha Workers, Aanganwari Workers, Mini Aanganwari Workers, Aanganwari Sahayikas, Silai Teachers, Panchayat Chowkidars, Part Time Water Carriers and Mid Day Meal Workers of Education Department, Part Time Workers and Namberdars of Revenue Department, Water Guards, Para Fitters and Pump Operators.

•         To bridge the regional inequalities new colleges, regional offices of Jal Shakti and Public Works Departments, Pharmacy Colleges, Development Blocks, Tehsils, Sub-Tehsils, Police Stations, Police Posts, Fire Stations etc. will be opened. The available resources will also be utilized as far as possible.

•         Under “Vikas Mein Jan Sahyog Programme” outlay has been doubled.

•         The financial limit of MLA Priorities increased from Rs. 120 crore to Rs. 135 crore.

•         “Swaran Jayanti District Innovation Fund” will be established.

•         Construction of Panchayat Ghars in newly created Panchayats.

•         Proposal to bring a holistic drug de-addiction policy and creation of “Nasha Nivaran Fund”.

•         The minimum daily wage has been increased to Rs. 300 per day and daily wage of part time and outsourced workers has also been increased.

•         CCTV cameras will be installed in Police Stations.

•         Steps will be taken to stop exploitation of outsourced workers.