Cow, religious places in focus as Madhya Pradesh tables ₹3.65L-cr budget

The minister said that ₹10,000 crore was allocated for development of expressways, including Atal Pragati Path.

Updated on: Jul 4, 2024, 10:45:08 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Madhya Pradesh finance minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday presented a ₹3.65 lakh crore budget for financial year 2024-25 — 16% higher than the previous year — in the state assembly, with increased allocations for the culture department, cow conservation, development of religious places and construction of expressway roads.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government increased the budget allocation for cow conservation by three times to ₹250 crore and by 2.5 times for culture department. However, no increase in monthly allowance of ₹1,250 per month to women under the Ladli Behna Scheme has been proposed.

“A total of 2,190 cow shelters are being operated in the state for about 3 lakh (300,000) cows. The amount provided for cow feed in the shelters has been doubled from ₹20 to ₹40 per cow per day. The budget provision has been increased by three times to ₹250 crore for 2024-25,” Devda said in his budget speech. The government also proposed an increase in minimum support price of wheat to ₹2,700 and paddy to ₹3,100 per quintal, he said. The MSP hike was one of the promises of the BJP ahead of the assembly polls.

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“Our government is establishing Veer Bharat Trust, a museum of the brilliance of the timeless great heroes of India. Through the establishment of Veer Bharat Museum, Madhya Pradesh has taken steps in the historic work of preserving the contribution of the heroes of Indian civilisation. This will be the first museum of its kind in the country,” he said.

The minister said that ₹10,000 crore was allocated for development of expressways, including Atal Pragati Path. Significant allocations include ₹26,560 crore for the women and child development department, up 81 per cent from the last fiscal.

“This budget will take the state forward. The overall development will take place and the vision of PM Narendra Modi of seeing MP a developed state will be accomplished,” chief minister Mohan Yadav said. “The budget doesn’t have anything to provide relief to people from inflation and unemployment...,” opposition leader Umang Singhar said.

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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