Devda presents Madhya Pradesh Budget focused on infrastructure, job creation

An allocation of ₹370 crore has been made for a statue of Adi Shankaracharya, an eighth-century spiritual leader who contributed to the unification of Hinduism

Published on: Mar 9, 2022, 14:52:23 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh finance minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday presented a ₹2,79,237 crore Budget focused on infrastructure development, employment generation, and self-reliant India concept amid Opposition Congress’s protests.

Congress lawmakers protested as the Budget was being presented. (PTI)

He announced ₹370 crore allocation for a statue of Adi Shankaracharya, an eighth-century spiritual leader who consolidated the Advaita Vedanta doctrine and contributed to the unification of Hinduism by setting up four monastic institutions across India. Devda said a new scheme will be launched for cow protection and welfare.

Devda said no new taxes will be imposed and announced a special allocation for people aged up to 18. “Tribal Development Corporation will be constituted to provide new job opportunities to tribals. Similarly, a provision of ₹40 crore has been made for Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation and ₹50 crore for Other Backward Classes.”

He added two new industrial parks will be set up in Bhopal apart from solar plants in Sagar, Ujjain, and Shajapur to promote green energy. “To promote electric vehicles, 217 charging stations will be set up in Bhopal, Indore, and Jabalpur,” he said.

Devda said the government is working for the welfare of its employees and that the dearness allowance for 750,000 of them has been increased from 20 to 31%. He added the government will promote organic farming through a new scheme and storage facilities for about 1 lakh MT of horticulture produce will be developed.

Opposition Congress leaders earlier staged a protest in the Well of the assembly before Devda’s speech. During the 100-minute speech, they raised issues such as rising unemployment, SC/ST, OBC scholarship, atrocities against them, the Narmada river conservation, etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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