Congress government’s first budget in Himachal: 30 thousand government jobs; 10 rupees cow-cess on every bottle of liquor, a new city will come up near Shimla

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu presented his first budget in the assembly on Friday. CM presented a budget of Rs 53613 crore for the year 2023-24. In a 2 hour 17 minute long speech, the CM made a series of announcements declaring Himachal to be a green state. Announcing the setting up of a new town at Jathia Devi near Shimla, Rs 1,373 crore was given in the budget for preparing its DPR. No new city has come up in Himachal since 75 years.

In order to increase the income of the government in Himachal, which is struggling with huge debt, the Chief Minister announced the imposition of cow-cess on liquor. A cow-cess of Rs 10 per bottle will be charged in the state. This step of the government will make liquor costlier in the state. He also announced to fill 30 thousand posts in different departments.

The CM said that Congress’s guarantee of giving Rs 1500 to women will be fulfilled in a phase-wise manner. Apart from this, 20 thousand meritorious girl students of the state will be given 25 thousand rupees each for buying e-scooties, 50% subsidy for buying private e-bus and e-truck and 40% subsidy will be given to the youth for setting up solar projects.

Major announcements of the budget…

30 thousand functional posts will be filled in different government departments.

Cow-cess of Rs 10 on every bottle of liquor. The government will get an annual income of Rs 100 crore. Auction of liquor contracts increased income by 32% in Solan. 40% more revenue was received in Kullu, 23% in Hamirpur, 66% in Kinnaur, 36% in Kangra and 36% in Shimla.

To promote investment in the state, the government will bring a new investment policy in this budget session. Bureau of Investment will give permission to set up industry. Single window system will end.

Investors will now be able to start business on the lines of ‘come and start work’. The government will give him all the necessary clearances at one place.

Day boarding schools will be opened in all 68 assembly constituencies, 300 crores will be spent

• Unemployed youth will get e-vehicle permits on 500 routes.

• One thousand new Lokmitra centers will be opened. The total number will be increased from 5 thousand to 6 thousand.

• Bus-port will be built in Hamirpur. 10 crore rupees will be spent on this.

• All government offices will be linked to the e-portal. The facility of online registry in the Revenue Department will now be available in the entire state.

• Green cover campaign will run to prevent landslide incidents. For this, 250 hectares of land will be selected.

• Announcement of Mukhyamantri Rojgar Sankalp Yojana for youth. The Labor and Employment Department will provide necessary training to the youth to get them employment abroad.

• Minimum wage of laborers increased by Rs.25. Now instead of Rs.350, you will get Rs.375.

• Increase of 10 lakh in MLA’s area development fund. 2 crores to 2.10 crores.

• MLA discretionary fund increased from 12 lakh to 13 lakh.

• All panchayats will be connected with 4G mobile internet service. Optical fiber will be laid in panchayats.

• The government will prepare an app to give information about stray animals. Objective- To remove the destitute animals from the roads.

• 817 crore will be spent with the help of France Development Bank in Manali-Palampur to clean the water. Emphasis on improving the quality of water in other cities and panchayats as well.

• State roads will be converted from two-lane to four-lane. Seeks approval for four-laning of Shimla-Kangra highway till Matour. Somewhere this highway is two-lane and somewhere fourlane.

• Safe corridors will be made in major cities to prevent road accidents. 1700 new roads will be built.

Announcement to set up a new town at Jatia Devi near Shimla.

A new Water Management and Regulation Bill will be brought for 24X7 water supply.

28 increase in the daily wages of 9 lakh MNREGA workers. Now instead of Rs 212, you will get Rs 240. The daily wage in tribal areas has been increased from Rs.266 to Rs.294. 100 crore additional expenditure of Rs. will benefit

Honorarium of public representatives increased in Municipal Corporations. Now the mayor will get Rs 20,000, the deputy mayor will get Rs 15,000 and the councilors will get Rs 7,000.

The honorarium of the chairperson in Zilla Parishads will also be Rs 20,000 per month. The Vice President will get Rs 15,000 and the BDC member will get Rs 6,000.

Sarpanch in panchayats will now get Rs 6,000 and deputy head will get Rs 4,000. Payment of Rs 500 per meeting to Panchayat members.

In city councils, the chairman will get Rs 8,500, the vice-chairman Rs 7,000 and the councilors Rs 3,500 per month.

In Nagar Panchayats, Pradhan will get Rs 7,000, Uppradhan Rs 5,500 and members Rs 3,500 per month.

The government will bring a new horticulture policy.

Development of horticulture in 6 thousand hectare area in 28 development blocks of seven districts under Shiva project with Rs 1292 crore. 15 thousand gardeners will be benefited

Announcement to promote sub-tropical fruit cultivation. Target to plant one crore saplings. Emphasis on new fruits like dragon fruit.

Gardeners will get the facility of cold store. New cold stores will be opened at 6 places.

Small businessmen will be given loans at low interest.

Ponds will be prepared for fish farming in an area of 20 hectares in the private sector.

Announcement of 80% subsidy to fish producers, where there will be proper water facility

Government will insist on making pond for fish production, for this government will give subsidy of ₹ 80 lakh

20 thousand girl students will get 25 thousand for e-scooty

Cooperative societies will be formed to increase the income of the farmers.

the plan will be successful

Social security pension to 40 thousand new people

Announcement to start drug and drug free campaign to stop drug abuse

The government will bring a law against drug peddlers in the budget session of this assembly.

Announcement of Rs 1500 phasewise to women

Chief Minister will give subsidy on mesh fencing to protect crops from wild animals under Khet Sanrakshan Yojana

Youth will be given training in English language

From now on orphan children will be called ‘Children of State’. 101 crore budget provision for this

Air travel and three-star hotel accommodation for orphans once a year

Single women will get home facility

Financial help of four thousand rupees every month to the destitute

Agricultural clusters will be formed for production of milk, vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Safe childhood campaign launched

HRTC announces transfer of 1500 diesel buses to e-buses

Green hydrogen policy will be made to make Himachal a green state

Announcement to make Kangra district tourism capital

Tourism development scheme will start at a cost of 1311 crores

Appeal to the Central Government for the cooperation of the opposition to take Rs 1000 crore for the expansion of Kangra Airport and Rs 400 crore for Mandi Airport

Land acquisition process for construction of Mandi airport to be completed soon

Target set to complete land acquisition process for Kangra airport by next financial year

Target to complete the process of land acquisition for the airport by the next financial year

Target set to connect all districts of Himachal with heliport facility within 1 year

DPR will be prepared to make Kangra a tourism capital. The Chief Minister said that two panchayats in each district will be developed as green panchayats. Under this, solar power projects ranging from 500 MW to 1 KW will be set up.

40 percent subsidy will be given to the youth of the state for setting up projects ranging from 200 KW to 2 MW. Power will be procured from these projects through the Electricity Board.

Himachal will be developed as a model state for electrical vehicles.

Parwanoo-Nalagarh-Una, Hamirpur-Amb-Nurpur, Paonta-Nahan-Shimla, Shimla-Bilaspur Hamirpur-Chamba, Mandi-Pathankot, Manali-Keylong National Highways will be developed as green corridors.

To encourage the youth of Himachal in the e-vehicle sector, a subsidy of 50% to a maximum of 50 lakhs will be given for the purchase of private bus operator e-buses.

Subsidy at the rate of 50% up to a maximum of 50 lakhs will be given for private e-truck purchase.

After an hour-long budget speech, Sukhu read the lion: Nahi kuch mila agar agar, hard work takes time. Although there are many clouds in the sky, but it takes some time to rain.

The CM estimated the total revenue receipts to be Rs 42,404 crore and said that out of Rs 100, Rs 26 would be spent on salary, Rs 16 on pension, Rs 10 on interest payment, Rs 10 on loan repayment, Rs 9 on grants to institutions. The remaining Rs 39 will be spent on capital work.

Seeks cooperation from BJP to bring NPS money

Talking about the weak financial condition of the state while presenting the budget, the Chief Minister said that the state has suffered losses due to the stoppage of GST grant from the central government. 8 thousand crore rupees of NPS is deposited with the center. The Chief Minister also sought cooperation from the opposition to bring back this amount. He said that Rs 10,000 crore is due to the state government from the employees and pensioners.

Opposition arrived by tying a black band

Before Himachal’s budget, BJP MLA reached the house wearing a black band. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur said that his protest will continue, but today he will sit in the House and listen to the budget.

Cess imposed on VAT for income

The Sukhu government has already taken steps like Rs 3 per liter VAT on diesel, auction of toll tax, water cess, cess on liquor to increase the source of income. That’s why the budget is expected to be tax free. To increase the income source, there may be an increase in the registration fees of the vehicles.