Punjab budget focuses on health, education

Chandigarh: The Punjab budget totaling Rs 2,04,918 crore for fiscal year 2024-25 was presented on Tuesday without any new taxes.

Education has been given priority in the budget, which includes special proposals for ‘Schools of Brilliance’ and ‘Schools of Happiness’. Health is another important focus, although the estimated financial assistance of Rs 1,000 for women above 18 years of age was not announced due to state challenges. Fiscal situation.
The budget includes several new initiatives, including converting 100 government senior secondary schools into ‘Schools of Brilliance’ and 100 primary government schools into ‘Schools of Happiness’. Cheema said the government will not impose any new taxes and expects total revenue receipts. This will be Rs 1,03,936 crore in 2024-25, of which Rs 58,900 crore will be from its own tax revenue. Additionally, the state is estimated to get Rs 22,041 crore as its share in central taxes and Rs 11,748 crore as grants-in-aid from the Centre.
The Finance Minister announced an allocation of Rs 16,987 crore for the education sector, which is about 11.5% of the total estimated expenditure.
Presenting the budget, Cheema highlighted that the Aam Aadmi Party government has provided more than 40,000 jobs in two years. He also said that Rs 13,784 crore has been allocated to the agriculture sector and Rs 16,987 crore has been allocated to the education sector.
Cheema elaborated on converting 118 government schools into state-of-the-art ‘Schools of Eminence’, of which 14 such schools are already operational. The government has allocated Rs 100 crore for this initiative in the upcoming financial year. He further explained about the ‘Schools of Brilliance’ programme, which aims to enhance the quality of education and transform rural schools into learning centers for students from classes 6 to 12, with an initial allocation of Rs 10 crore earmarked for this purpose. Has been done
Furthermore, Cheema said the government is planning to convert 100 primary government schools into ‘schools of happiness’. The program will focus on providing well-ventilated classrooms, dedicated play areas, resource rooms and activity corners with a budget of Rs 10 crore. Allocated for this initiative in the financial year 2025.
Rs 7,780 crore has been allocated in the budget to cover zero electricity bill of domestic consumers who get 300 units of free electricity. The facility of free bus travel for women will continue, a budget of Rs 450 crore has been allocated for this. Additionally, Rs 9,388 crore has been set aside for various social welfare schemes, including Rs 5,925 crore for social security pensions. The industry sector received an allocation of Rs 3,367 crore, which also includes subsidy for power consumption. An outlay of Rs 2,695 crore has been kept to improve road connectivity.
Cheema emphasized the government’s success in strengthening the state’s revenue resources, achieving a 13% annual growth rate in the state’s own tax revenues. He also said that the government is providing an average of 55 jobs every day.
In sports and youth services, Cheema proposed to set up 1,000 sports nurseries in all the districts of Punjab for about 60,000 players aged 6 to 17 years.
The government has also proposed the Malwa Canal Project, which aims to reduce dependence on groundwater and optimize the state’s share of underutilized Beas-Sutlej river water during the Rabi season. The new canal project aims to irrigate about 1.78 lakh acres of land, which will benefit farmers in Bathinda, Faridkot, Muktsar and Ferozepur districts.