Capex push, no new taxes

Geetanjali Gayatri

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Chandigarh, February 23

Buoyed by increased tax collections, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on Thursday proposed no fresh tax, decided to hike the social security pension to Rs 2,750 per month and announced financial support for women entrepreneurs as he presented the state Budget for 2023-24.

The CM proposed a Budget of Rs 1,83,950 crore, an increase of 11.6 per cent over the revised estimates of 2022-23. He said to boost state’s development, the Budget proposed an expenditure of Rs 57,879 crore on capital asset creation.

Laying thrust on setting up of Haryana Parivar Suraksha Nyas, the CM announced one lakh houses for Antyodaya families, extension of CHIRAYU-Ayushman Bharat Yojana benefits for families with annual income up to Rs 3 lakh and an increase in the social security pension from Rs 2,500 per month to Rs 2,750 per month with an increase in the eligibility income from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. He also announced financial support for women entrepreneurs through a venture capital fund with a corpus of Rs 200 crore. The Budget proposed to reduce the age limit for eligibility for senior citizens’ 50 per cent concessional bus fare from 65 years to 60 years and an assistance of Rs 2,500 to girls with annual family income of up to Rs 3 lakh for study in government industrial training institutes.

Strong foundation

Foundation of a forward-looking, forward-moving Haryana laid. Budget reflects our commitment to development. —ML Khattar, CM

Mere rhetoric

It has left every section empty-handed. BJP-JJP govt has reduced it to a rhetoric… Whatever is said is never implemented. —BS Hooda, Cong leader

Stating there was a fall of 48 per cent in paddy residue burning cases, Khattar said the government would notify a rate of Rs 1,000 per tonne as an incentive to purchase “parali” (stubble) from farmers and Rs 1,500 per tonne for meeting all expenses related to stubble management for straw procured in the prescribed service areas by designated agencies.

Recruitment for at least 65,000 regular posts in the coming financial year and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antyodyay Parivar Suraksha Yojana for assistance in case of death or disability in respect of a member of a family with annual income of up to Rs 1.80 lakh were part of the announcements.

A scheme to provide care at a sewa ashram for around 3,600 persons aged above 80 whose income, excluding old age pension, is less than Rs 25,000 per annum, a state-of-art multispeciality 700-bed district hospital in Gurugram, Rs 2.5 lakh to eligible sportspersons for preparation for Asian Games, sports academy with hostel in Panchkula and Ambala, cycling velodrome in Kurukshetra, a centre for water sports in Karnal and an insurance scheme for injured sportspersons are among the new initiatives proposed in the Budget.