Chhattisgarh govt announces ₹2,500 allowance to unemployed youth in budget

The Chhattisgarh government has also announced an increase in the monthly honorarium of anganwadi workers, home guards, village kotwars and others in the Budget 2023-24

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced a monthly allowance of ₹2,500 to the unemployed youth of the state for a maximum period of two years in the annual budget for the financial year 2023-24 presented by him in the legislative assembly on Monday.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel presented the state’s budget for the financial year 2023-24 in the legislative assembly on Monday. (PTI)

The chief minister also announced an increase in the monthly honorarium of anganwadi workers, home guards, village kotwars and others in the ₹1,21,500 crore budget.

This is the last full budget of the Congress government in the state, which will witness an assembly election later this year.

“A new scheme will be commenced to provide unemployment allowance to the educated unemployed of the state. Youth of age group18 to 35 years, with minimum educational qualification of 12th passed and registered in Employment and Registration Centre, having annual family income of less than ₹2.5 lakh will be provided ₹2,500 for a maximum period of two years. Unemployment allowance will be provided on monthly basis. For this purpose, a provision of ₹250 crores has been made under a new head in the budget,” the chief minister said.

Baghel said that the aim of budget is “Gadhbo Nava Chhattisgarh” and it focuses on prosperity, growth and welfare of the state with agricultural and rural economy in mind. No new tax has been proposed in the budget, he added

The monthly honorarium of Anganwadi workers and sahayika (assistants) will be increased from ₹6,500 to ₹10,000 and from ₹3250 to ₹5000 per month respectively, he said.

Similarly, mini anganwadi workers will be getting honorarium of ₹7500 from existing ₹4,500. The CM also announced increment in honorarium given to village Kotwaras on the basis of size of area where they serve. The monthly honorarium of Gram Patel will be increased from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000, he said.

The honorarium given to cooks preparing lunch under the mid-day meal scheme in schools, will be increased from ₹1,500 to ₹1,800 per month, he said.

The honorarium of sanitation workers working in schools will be increased from ₹2,500 to ₹2,800 per month. The CM also announced a hike in the honorarium of Home Guard personnel with a minimum increment of ₹6,300 to a maximum increment of ₹6,420 per month.

A provision of ₹200 crore for establishment of four new medical colleges in Manendragarh, Geedam, Janjgir Champa and Kabirdham districts has also been made in the budget, he said.

“On the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Industrial Park, industrial parks will be established in urban areas as well. A provision of ₹50 crore has been made in the budget for promoting setting up of small scale and cottage industries in the industrial parks,” Baghel said.

Commencing of light metro service from Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar to Durg has been proposed to provide easy, low-cost, modern means of transportation to the people of the state, he added.

The budget session of the Chhattisgarh assembly started on March 1.