By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 1 Feb: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has generously praised the Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for providing significant relief to the middle class by making annual incomes up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free through the Union Budget 2025-26 presented in the Parliament on Saturday. He described the budget as development-oriented and focused on public welfare. Congratulating Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a well balanced budget, Dhami highlighted the direct and indirect benefits Uttarakhand will receive from various schemes.
Reacting to the budget, Dhami reminded that the state’s share in Central taxes for this year’s revised estimate is around Rs 14,387 crore, and added that the budget paves the way for an additional Rs 444 crore in the current financial year. He claimed that in the coming financial year 2025-26, this amount could rise to approximately Rs 15,902 crore, which would prove crucial for the state. The Chief Minister also expressed gratitude to Sitharaman for including 11 points in her budget on the request made by the state government during the pre-budget conference.
Dhami recalled that Uttarakhand had requested the establishment of a Centre of Excellence related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cyber Security. The budget announced the creation of five such National Centres of Excellence and 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools. He added that the announcement of Broadband connectivity in all government schools is also significant for the state, laying a strong foundation for the knowledge economy. He also reminded that the Union government has extended the deadline for the completion of the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme till the year 2028.
The Chief Minister reminded that the Union budget has allocated Rs 1.5 lakh crore for capital and infrastructure development in the states, Rs 25,000 crore more than this year’s revised estimate of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. Uttarakhand has benefited significantly from this interest-free scheme in the past two years, he claimed.
In addition, in his statement, Dhami also highlighted the benefits Uttarakhand will receive from the new Udaan scheme for 125 cities. He said that medical services in the state will be expanded with the establishment of cancer centres in all districts over the next three years. He added that the farmers are expected to benefit from the launch of the Dhan Dhanya Yojana in 100 districts and the increase in the loan limit under the Kisan Credit Card from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. He asserted that converting India Post into a large public logistics organisation will also enhance economic dynamism through post offices in Uttarakhand’s remote areas.
