Haryana government on Friday presented a tax-free State budget for the 2024-25 financial year with an outlay of ₹1,89,876.61 crore, an increase of 11.37% in comparison to the previous year, with a focus on agriculture and farmers.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal, who also holds the portfolio of Finance, presenting the budget during the ongoing Assembly session, announced to waive-off interest and penalty on the crop loan and said that no new taxes are proposed in this year’s budget.
The budget outlay comprises ₹1,34,456.36 crore as revenue expenditure and ₹55,420.25 crore as capital expenditure, which is 70.81% and 29.19% of the total budget respectively. The Public Sector Enterprises will also spend an amount on creating capital infrastructure amounting to ₹8,119.24 crore in 2024-25. Therefore, in total, the capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 would be ₹63,539.49 crore, according to the budget proposal.
Pointing out that the State government has taken various measures for the benefit of the farmers as a result of which agricultural production has grown at 8.1% in 2023-24, amongst the highest in the country, the Chief Minister announced to waive off interest and penalty on the crop loans. “Loans are being given to farmers through Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS). I announce to waive off interest and penalty on the crop loan, in case crop loan was availed till September 30, 2023, and the principal amount is paid by May 31, 2024, provided the farmer is registered on Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal. Such loans should have been taken by farmers registered on MFMB portal. Thereafter, the farmer will be eligible for crop loan from PACS during Kharif season 2024,” he said.
The announcement has come amid the ongoing stand-off between the Centre and farmers over their demands a legal guarantee for purchasing their crops at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and farm loan waiver are among the key ones. Farmers have been camping in Punjab after being stopped from entering Haryana since February 13.
Security personnel stand guard behind a roadblock during the farmers’ protest over various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu Border, in Patiala district, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
Mr. Lal said the firm commitment of the government to boost investment in agriculture, rural development, health, education, welfare activities and infrastructure for comprehensive socio-economic growth of the State is reflected in higher budgetary allocation for these sectors for 2024-25.
The Chief Minister announced to increase the ex-gratia amount to the Next of Kin of Battle Casualties, belonging to Haryana, whether from the Defence services or Central Armed Police Forces, from ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore.
“In recognition of sacrifices made by freedom fighters in the cause of freedom, I propose to increase their monthly samman allowance to ₹40,000 from the existing ₹25,000,” he said. He also proposed a ₹10 crore start-up fund, which will be set for encouraging drone manufacturing in Haryana.
Mr. Lal said on the lines of the Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana, he proposes to launch the Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana for those beneficiaries who were to be allotted plots under Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojana but who have not been given possession of the plots in the last fifteen years.
“I propose to set a deadline of September 2024 for giving possession to around 25,000 such beneficiaries. In case the possession cannot be granted to the eligible beneficiaries, then the Government will provide a benefit of up to ₹1 lakh to the beneficiary family under the Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Yojana so that they can buy a plot in the village at a location of their choice for construction of their residence,” he said.
