Punjab Budget: Free education for all till Class 12

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 28

Education in government schools will be free for all students up to class 12, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal announced in his budget speech on Friday.

Education was only free for girl students up till now. In his speech, Badal said at Rs 13,092 crore, the highest allocation in the budget was granted to the education sector.

The government has also announced the setting up of several new colleges and has allotted funds for improving infrastructure in government schools.

Also read: Punjab Budget: Retirement age cut to 58; 6 pc of DA arrears in a week; no new taxes

Key announcements:  

• A law college to be set up at Patti and an open university in Patiala
• Two new agriculture colleges at Gurdaspur and Balachaur to be set up
• 4,150 additional classrooms to be constructed at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
• A veterinary college and regional research centre to be set up at Sappanwali in Fazilka

Also read: Punjab Budget: Rs 2,000 cr crop loan waiver, power subsidy of Rs 8,275 cr for farmers

• Rs 75 crore allotted for repair or unsafe school buildings
• 259 government senior secondary smart schools to get 10 KW solar plants
• Rs 100 crore allotted for digital education in government school classrooms
• Rs 324 crore assigned for employment generation and Rs 148 crore for skill development.
• Centre of excellence of floriculture to be set up in Doraha.
• Grant-in-aid to Universities increased by 6 per cent.