Election-time Budget

After  the parliamentary polls and Haryana will have Assembly elections later this year. But, riding on the BJP's recent wins in the Jind bypoll and the earlier municipal corporations elections, the Finance Minister has not succumbed to populism at the cost of fiscal prudence in the last Budget of the Khattar government's current term. However, as Capt Abhimanyu has ensured that the fiscal deficit did not exceed the healthy limit, it is not surprising that the Rs 1.32-lakh-crore Budget for 2019-20 is largely people-friendly. While all sections of society stand to gain from the absence of any fresh taxes, the minister has sought to benefit poor peasants and unorganised sector workers with a special Rs 1,500-crore sop. Under this new allocation, families of farmers owning up to 5 acres of land and those of unorganised sector workers with family income of less than Rs 15,000 per month have been promised a social security cover.

Notably, the other special enhanced allocations address diverse segments of the economy. Foremost is the development of Hisar as an aviation hub, a project that has been hanging fire for years due to lack of enough funds. Emphasis on the development of the Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Gurugram's Nathupur village stands out as an effort towards the much-needed conservation of ecology in the degraded area. In the same vein, Ambala seeks to regain its past glory of being a scientific instruments city and of grinders and mixers as it is allocated funds for its growth as a sub-regional science centre.

By loosening the exchequer's purse strings towards skill development, the Minister aims to benefit the youth. The slew of measures for them includes the opening and upgradation of some more ITIs so as to render them employable as well as providing for unemployment allowances. Towards this end, there is an appreciable increase of 51 per cent in the outlay for the Employment Department and a raise of 24 per cent funds for skill development as compared to last year.