Prem Chand Aggrawal, the Finance Minister of Uttarakhand, has presented Uttarakhand’s Rs 65,571.49 crore budget for the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) in the ongoing budget session of the state Legislative Assembly in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
The state budget serves as a symbol of the state government’s priorities, which include strong fiscal discipline and management, good governance, and effective implementation of long-term development goals.
Significance
The proposed budget includes the highest allocations for pension payments to the elderly, widows with no one to rely on, abandoned women, differently-abled, economically weak farmers, and schemes aimed at improving gender ratios and providing health insurance coverage to all.
Budget Highlights
- Revenue Expenditure – Rs. 49,013.31 crore
- Capital Expenditure – Rs. 16,558.18 crore
- Total estimated receipts for FY23 – Rs. 63,774.55 crore
Policy Highlights
Salary, Pensions & Interest Payments: The budget includes Rs. 17,350.21 crore for state government employee salaries and allowances, Rs. 6,703.10 crore for pensions, and Rs. 6,017.85 crore for interest payments.
Elderly, Widow, Differently Abled: The budget proposes the highest allocation of Rs. 1,500 crores for payment of pensions to the elderly, widows with no one to rely on, abandoned women, differently-abled people, and economically weak farmers.
Education: An allocation of Rs. 12.28 crore has been made to establish Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas to make quality education accessible to children from weaker sections.
Budget allocates Rs.24,250 Crore to Department of Finance, Taxes, Planning, Secretariat & General Administration.
Allocations for Yojanas
i. The Nanda Gaura Yojana, which aims to enhance the gender ratio, has been allocated Rs. 500 crores in the budget proposal.
- Under the scheme, the Uttarakhand government intends to pay Rs. 51,000 in seven instalments to the parents of a daughter beginning with the year of her birth and continuing till her marriage.
ii.An allocation of Rs. 310 crores towards the Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana.
iii. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) has been allocated Rs. 311.76 crores.
iv.A budget of Rs. 205 crores have been set aside for the Smart City Yojana.
v.The RashtriyaGraminAjivika Mission has been allocated Rs. 112.38 crores.
vi.The Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojana has been allocated a budget of Rs. 105.41 crores.
Other Proposals
i. A sum of Rs. 25 crores have been set aside for Mukhyamantri Palayan Roktham Yojana to prevent migration from the hills, as well as Rs. 20 crores for border area under Mukhyamantri seemant kshetra vikas Yojana.
ii.In addition, the budget proposes spending Rs. 15 crores to construct sheds to shelter stray cows.
About Uttarakhand:
Chief Minister (CM) – Pushkar Singh Dhami
Festival – Magh Mela; Nanda Devi Raj Jat; Kangdali Festival
Dance – Barada Nati; Langvir Nritya; Ramola
