FM Aggarwal presents Rs 89,230 crores budget for FY 2024-25
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 27 Feb: Finance Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal presented the state budget amounting to Rs 89,230.069 crores for the financial year 2024-25 in the House, here, today. While tabling the budget in the House, the Finance Minister described it as based on advanced, well-governed and efficient policy. It was for the first time in the state’s history that the budget was tabled at 12:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.
Aggarwal tabled the budget after the Question Hour. He specially mentioned enacting of the Uniform Civil Code Bill, and successful hosting of G-20 summits and the Global Investors Summit as major achievements of the government in the past one year. The budget speech was a 62 page document and was read out completely by Aggarwal. The budget presented for the FY 2024-25 is about 15 percent higher than the budget for FY 2023-24.
Addressing the House, Aggarwal claimed that women power has been respected with the UCC Bill. This will prove to be an important step towards women empowerment. Speaking about the Global Investors’ Summit held in December last year, he claimed that against the target of Rs 2.5 lakh crores worth of investment agreements, MoUs worth more than Rs 3.50 lakh crores were signed during the Global Investors’ Summit held in Dehradun, he said that this was done with the mantra of Peace to Prosperity. The Finance Minister also mentioned the successful rescue to workers trapped in Silkyara tunnel as a special achievement. He also mentioned providing 10 percent horizontal reservation for statehood activists as a major step.
Several awards received by the State Government from the Central Government in various sectors were also mentioned in the budget speech. The Finance Minister also sketched the outline of the ongoing road construction works including the construction work in progress on various highways of the state. He also stated that a special budget to the tune of Rs 250 crores was allocated for organising the 38th National Games. He also mentioned other new policies regarding service, solar, logistics, tourism, AYUSH. The work being done regarding sports in the state was also mentioned. He spoke about the work being done regarding innovation, Manaskhand, House of Himalayas, Ayush Wellness. He said that he presented the details of various pensions related to destitute and abandoned widows.
Some of the major budget provisions include-
The government has claimed a revenue surplus of Rs 4737 crores or 1.2 percent of GSDP; total revenue expenditure of Rs 55,815 crores; total capital expenditure of Rs 33.414 crores and capital outlay of Rs 13,779 crores, approximately.
The government is estimated to earn a revenue of Rs 88,597.11 crores. In this, revenue receipts of Rs 60,552.90 crores and capital receipts of Rs 28,044.21 crores have been estimated. Total receipts include 31.30 percent of receipts as loan, 25.24 percentage out of its own revenue collections, 15.29 percentage as state share from the Central taxes, 21.90 percentage as Central grants and 5.46 percentage as income from sources other than taxes.
Of the total expenditure provisioned by the government, over 22.83 will be spent on payment of salaries and wages, 9.21 percent on payment of pensions of employees etc; 7.46 percent on payment of interest on loans taken; 5.41 percent on grant of subsidies etc; 10.41 percent on infrastructure projects and construction activities; 22.43 percent on repayment of loans and 22.55 percent on various miscellaneous expenses.
A provision of Rs 4,008 crores has been made for Education; Rs 1374.69 crores on Power Sector; Rs 2796.54 for Police Department; Rs 3217.25 crores for PWD; Rs 4131.95 crores for Health Sector; Rs 372.67 crores for Urban Development; Rs 2910.22 crores for Rural Development; Rs 1132.40 crores for Drinking Water Supply sector; Rs 419.74 crores for Industry and Rs 2415 for Agriculture Sector which includes Rs 1045 crores for Agriculture Department; Rs 578 crores for Horticulture Department and Rs 791 crores for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development.
Some of the new Budget provisions include-
Provision of Rs 31 crore for e-Vidhan Sabha application programme; Rs 850 crores for mega project scheme; Provision of about Rs 710 crore in 2024-25 for Jamrani Dam Project; Rs 300 crores for Song Project and Rs 250 crores for Lakhwar project; Rs 250 crore for organising the 38th National Games to be held in the state; Rs 157 crore for construction of Unity Mall/Plaza; Rs.100 crore for roof top solar scheme for administrative and residential buildings; Rs 50 crores for total digitisation of Revenue record; Rs 50 crore for purchasing vehicles under scrap policy; Rs 40 crores for upgradation of ITI as per Tata Technology Model; Rs 34 crore to provide salt at affordable rates to the primary and Antyodaya ration card holders for the Food Security Scheme; Rs 25 crores for mining survey; Rs 10 crore in new demand for construction of Children Traffic Park in each district; Rs 7 crores for collective farming in barren lands; Rs 10 crore for theme based science and innovation centres in each district; Rs 10 crore through new demand for Urban Mobility Programme aimed at strengthening urban mobility in the state; Rs 5 crore for THDC and UJVN joint venture for thermal project; Provision of Rs 10 crore for construction of EV charging infrastructure project under Transport Department.
