On March 3, 2020 Jharkhand Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon presented Rs 86,370 crore budget for financial year 2020-21 in the State assembly. The budget estimated revenue expenditure of Rs 73,315.94 crore & capital expenditure of Rs 13,054.06 crore .
Financial assistance to jobless youth, 100 units of free electricity & farmer’s relief fund announced
- Unemployment allowance of Rs 5000 & Rs 7000 to be given annually for unemployed youths who have earned bachelor & master’s degree in the past 3 years & have registered with employment exchange for jobs.Rs 146 crore allocated under this head.
- People are not required to pay electricity dues for 1st 100 units if they consume less than 300 units of power.
- Proposal to set up ‘Jharkhand Rajya Kisan Rahat Kosh’ (farmers relief fund) from this Kharif season, changing the form of ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ (PMFBY)a sum of Rs 100 crore earmarked for the proposed relief fund.
Major Highlights of the budget
Agriculture
i.Decision made to introduce “Short Term Agriculture Loan Relief Yojana” underlining Rs 2000 Crore & Rs 200 crore allocated for “Paddy Production & Market Accessibility”.
ii.A target to connect 1 Lakh families under “Livelihood Promotion” scheme paddy cultivation, poultry, vegetables and medicinal herbs.
Education
iii.Rs 30 crore earmarked under the “Mukhya Mantri Visesh Chhatra Vriti Yojana” (Chief Ministers Special Students Scholarship) to provide universal scholarship for students enrolled in government schools from Class I to XII.
Health
iv.Families which have annual income less than Rs 8 lakh will get free treatment for critical illnesses such as cancer and kidney & liver ailments in top-notch health institutions of the country.
v.New scheme announced for Modern Diagnostic & Other Testing Lab along with ambulance facilities for animals.
Construction
vi.Rs 4199 crore is earmarked under “Baba Saheb Ambedkar Yojana” for constructing five thousand housing units.
Proposals made
vii.To give an additional Rs 50,000 to the beneficiaries under “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana” & to provide ration to all people above 50 years of age.
viii.Rs 1660.77 crore to ensure regular honorarium to para teachers & to increase the honorarium of Cook-cum-Sahaika engaged in preparations of midday meals by Rs 500 which makes their monthly payment as Rs 2000.
ix.The budget aims at achieving 7.2 per cent growth rate for state GDP (Gross Domestic Product) from current 5.7 per cent, and push per capital income to Rs 65,802 from the existing Rs 62,345.
Furthermore, the government introduced Rs 5 per meal for the people living below the poverty line under the Mukhyamantri Dal Bhat Yojna (MDBY) to tackle severe poverty in the state.
About Jharkhand:
Capital– Ranchi
Chief Minister– Hemant Soren
Governor– Draupadi Murmu
