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Himachal Pradesh hikes MSP for milk from April 1
Presenting budget, chief minister Sukhu announces special package of ₹4,500 crore for people affected by monsoon last year, claims no package given by Centre
Presenting his second state budget, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday announced hiking the minimum support price (MSP) of cow milk and buffalo milk.
The chief minister, who holds the finance portfolio, said that the MSP on cow milk will be raised from ₹38 to ₹45 per litre and buffalo milk from ₹38 to ₹55 per litre from April 1, he said.
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The CM announced the Rajiv Gandhi Prakriyat Kheti Yojna, under which 36,000 farmers -- 10 farmers from every panchayat -- will be trained in natural farming techniques.
Sukhu said universal cartons will be introduced for apple packaging and horticulture tourism will be encouraged. He reiterated the state government’s resolve to make Himachal Pradesh a green state by 2026.
He said that the state government had announced a special package of ₹4,500 crore for disaster-affected people after last year’s monsoon and added that the Centre had not given any special package.
He said it was due to the financial mismanagement of the previous BJP government in the state that Himachal’s total debt stood at ₹87,788 crore.
Sukhu allocated ₹582 crore for the agriculture sector and ₹300 crore for the horticulture sector.
He said 6,000 nursery teachers would be appointed in the state and monthly review meetings would be held in schools.
He announced setting up the first modernised de-addiction and rehabilitation centre in the state at Kandaghat in Solan district.
The Himachal Pradesh government would build 860km of new roads in 2024-25, Sukhu said, adding that vehicle scrapping centres would also be set up. As many as 327 old diesel buses would be replaced by electrical vehicles in 2024-25.
The chief minister announced the drafting of a new startup policy for the state.
