MP Budget 2019: Cow welfare fund, hike in Haj committee grant among key promises, 10 points

Madhya Pradesh Budget 2019: The Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday presented its maiden budget. The budget, presented by Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot, was aimed at pleasing various sections of the society wherein the government announced cow welfare fund and hiked grant to the state Waqf Board and Haj committee.

The finance minister also proposed a three-fold hike in the honorarium for the priests working in the registered temples. The minister said a budgetary allocation of Rs 8,000 crore has been made to waive remaining loans of the farmers in the state. He said the ruling Congress had written off loans worth Rs 7,000 crore of 20 lakh farmers within 128 days of coming to power.

A provision has been made to generate employment for youths under which the skill training programme would be given an impetus. “Besides, the grants for the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board and the Haj committee have been hiked. More than Rs 821 crore has been earmarked for the OBC and Minorities Department,” Bhanot said.

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“Scriptures revere cows and for this a grant of Rs 132 crore has been proposed for the welfare of bovines,” he said, adding that the private sector would also be roped in for this purpose. Bhanot also said that the budget proposes a three-fold hike in the honorarium for the priests working in registered temples.

Besides Madhya Pradesh, another Congress-ruled state Rajasthan announced its annual budget on Wednesday. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot presented the Budget for 2019-20 which proposed a Rs 1,000 crore fund for farmers' welfare apart from various schemes in irrigation, renewable energy and health sectors.

Presenting the Budget in the Rajasthan assembly, Gehlot said a separate feeder at a cost of Rs 5,200 crore will be established to provide uninterrupted electricity supply to farmers. He added that it is a people's Budget and has been prepared considering their sentiments and suggestions.

(With PTI inputs)