Himachal Pradesh Budget 2019-20

The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur, who also holds the Finance portfolio, on 9th Feb 2019 presented the Annual Budget for the Year 2019-20 in HP Vidhan Sabha.

Himachal Pradesh Budget 2019-20, a 44,388 crore ‘populist’ budget, focussed more on the rural population of the state, which constitutes 80 per cent of the state.

No new tax has been proposed in the HP budget which sees an increase of Rs 2,948 crore (7 per cent) from Rs 41,440 crore in 2018-19.

The revenue receipts of 2019-20 are estimated at Rs 33,747 crore, whereas expenditure is likely to be Rs 36,089 crore — thus leading to a revenue deficit of Rs 2,342 crore.

The fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 7,352 crore for 2019-20, which is 4.3 per cent of GSDP. The net borrowing this year will be Rs 5,069 crore.

An annual plan of Rs 7,100 crore is focused on increasing farm productivity, developing rural infrastructure, developing new sources of irrigation, flood control and social services.

A total of 15 new schemes for various sections were announced in the HP Budget 2019-20. These includes a Rs 150 crore Mukhya Mantri Nutan Polyhouse Yojna, higher budget outlay for anti-hail net, irrigation and flood control schemes, Mukhya Mantri Khumb Vikas Yojna, subsidy up to Rs 25,000 on indigenous cow breeds and Rs 2 per litre increase in milk procurement price.

10 percent reservation will be implemented in the state for the general category in employment and educational institutions.

Many targets under the Sustainable Development Goals will be achieved by 2022 instead of 2030.Himachal Pradesh has got first rank in the ranking done by the NITI Aayog in the efforts being made to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

Administrative Reforms included in the HP Budget 2019-20

• Outlay under Vidhayak Kshetra Vikas Nidhi Yojna will be increased to Rs.1.50 crore per Assembly Constituency.
• The Discretionary Grant per MLA will be increased to Rs.8 lakh.
• Hon’ble MLAs will be able to recommend sports material and equipment worth Rs.25,000 per registered Yuvak Mandal out of Vidhayak Kshetra Vikas Nidhi Yojna.
• This grant for Mahila Mandals will also be increased to Rs.25,000.
• An annual Loktantre Prehari Samman Rashi of Rs.11,000 will be given to the persons arrested under MISA during the emergency.
• Additional 136 G2C Services will be automated and linked with e District Portal.
• The Government managed to get necessary approvals and recommendations for projects worth Rs.10,300 crore from Government of India for external assistance.
• An IT Park will be established in Kangra district with the help of Software Technology Park of India (STPI).
• The limit for posing projects to NABARD for funding MLA Priority Schemes will be increased to Rs.105 crore per Assembly Constituency.
• State of Art Command and Control Centre will be setup in the State. Mukhya Mantri Help Line will be established. MyGov portal will be started to establish contact between the Government and public.

Food Security and Public Distribution System:

• The State Government will supplement the Central Government’s “Ujjwala” Yojna by providing one free cylinder, gas stove and pipe from its own resources.
• One additional LPG refill cylinder will be provided free to the beneficiaries of Himachal Grihani Suvidha Yojna and Ujjwala Yojna. This will benefit 2 lakh families.

Agriculture and Irrigation measures included in HP Budget 2019-20:

• Barbed Wire and Chain Link will be provided at 50 percent subsidy under Mukhya Mantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojna.
• 50 percent subsidy will be provided for purchasing Cows ofindigenous  breed to promote natural farming.
• Electricity charges being paid by farmers for irrigation will be reduced to 50 paise per unit.
• A scheme “Doubling of Farmers’ Income through Water Conservation and other Activities” will be started with the assistance of Asian Development Bank.
• Nadaun Medium Irrigation Scheme will be completed and commissioned. Pace will be provided to the execution of Phina Singh Medium Irrigation Scheme. The execution of Swan River Flood Management Project and Chhonch Khad Channelization Project will be speeded up.

• A scheme “Himachal Pradesh Flood and River Management Project” with the first phase costing Rs.1,235 crore and second phase costing Rs.1,850 crore will be started with external assistance.
• The compensation under “Mukhya Mantri Kisan Avam Khetihar Majdoor Jeevan Suraksha Yojna” will be doubled.
• A new “Mukhya Mantri Nutan Poly House Project” with a total cost of Rs.150 crore will be started.

Horticulture schemes included in the Himachal Budget 2019:

• The outlay for Anti Hail Nets will be doubled to Rs.20 crore.
• “Mukhya Mantri Khumb Vikas Yojna” will be started.
• “Himachal Pradesh Sub Tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition (SHIVA)” project with a total cost of Rs.1,688 will be started with external assistance.

Animal Husbandry measures included in the HP Budget 2019-20:

• Breeding farm for Sahiwal and Red Sindhi Cows will be established with a total cost of Rs.11 crore and Embryo Transfer Technology will be used for their breeding.
• Goats will be provided at a subsidy of 85 percent to the farmers living below poverty line. Sheep of improved breeds will be imported. A farm for Murrah buffaloes and Gokul Gram will be set-up.
• Additional processing capacity of 50,000 litre per day will be installed in Duttnagar and Chakkar Milk Processing Plant.
• Milk procurement price will be enhanced by Rs.2 per litre.

Fisheries schemes in HP Budget 2019:

• 100 Trout Units and Carp Fish Ponds in 10 hectare, will be constructed.
• Retail fish outlets will be established in Kangra, Chamba and Shimla and Insurance cover will be provided to Trout units.

Panchayati Raj and Rural Development

• Honorarium of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions will be increased. Honorarium of Panchayat Chowkidar will be increased to Rs.4,500.
• Mukhya Mantri Gram Kaushal Yojna will be started.
• The State Government will provide uniform financial assistance of Rs.20,000 for house construction for the poor out of its own resources, in addition to assistance currently being provided, both in rural and urban areas.
• The subsidy for repair of houses under “Mukhya Mantri Aawas Yojna” will be increased.

Forest Conservation and Forest Based Livelihoods:

• A new scheme “Ek Buta Beti Ke Naam” will be started.
• SMS based alert system will be started to fight forest fires.
• 25 Small Scale Industries will be established using pine needles as raw material.

Environment related measures:

• A new “Mukhya Mantri Green Technology Transfer Scheme” will be started.
• Integrated Cooperative Development Project will be started in Una and Chamba Districts.

Cooperation:

• 250 Auditors will be empanelled for undertaking audit of the Cooperative Societies.
• A grant of Rs.15,000 will be provided to the forest personnel in 200 sensitive beats for procuring arms.

Urban bodies:

• The honorarium to elected Members of the Urban Local Bodies will be increased.
• State Disaster Response Force will be setup.
• 500 habitations will be provided with safe drinking water supply.

Water Supply related measures:

• “Mukhya Mantri Swajal Yojna” will be started to provide up to 50 metre of pipe at a subsidy of 50 percent to the weaker sections of the society.
• The honorarium of the Water Guards, Pump Fitters and Para Fitters in Irrigation and Public Health Department will be increased. Functional posts in the department will be filled up on need basis.

Industries:

• The Government will bring out a new Micro Small and Medium Industrial Policies.
• Global Investors Summit will be held in Dharamshala.
• The age limit and investment limit under “Mukhya Mantri Swablamban Yojna” will be increased.
• A new “Mukhya Mantri Dastkar Sahayata Yojna” will be started.
• Industrial areas in Channour, Gehrwin and Basouli Bangarh in Una will be set-up.

MPP and Power related measures:

• Hydel Projects with an installed capacity of 500 MW will be commissioned. Execution of Chanju-3 and Deothal Chanju projects will be commenced.
• A new “Mukhya Mantri Roshni Yojna” will be started to help poor families getting electricity connection without payment of service charges.
• A subsidy of Rs.475 crore will be provided to HPSEB Ltd.

Tourism:

• A new tourism policy will be brought out and Master Plan for promoting Eco-Tourism will be prepared.
• Pong Area Development Board will be set up.
• “Shiv Dham” will be established in Mandi district to attract tourists.
• Tourism Infrastructure Development Project with a cost of Rs.1,892 crore will be started with the assistance of an external funding agency.

Labour and Employment:

• Rs.100 crore will be provided for “Kaushal Vikas Bhatta Yojna”.

Transport and Roads

• Integrated Public Transport Management System will be introduced in HRTC.
• A new electric vehicle policy will be brought out.
• Non-conventional material and new technique approved by the Indian Road Congress will be used for construction and maintenance of roads on pilot basis.
• 750 kilometres new roads, culverts/small bridges on 850 kilometres of road length, 1,500 kilometres of tarred roads and 50 bridges will be constructed which will connect 50 new villages.

Excise and taxation:

• Annual turnover limit for GST registration will be increased to Rs.40 lakh and composition turnover limit will be increased to Rs.1.50 crore.
• A mobile App and an online facility will be introduced to deposit CGCR, PGT and AGT.

Quality Education related measures in HP Budget 2019-20:

• Video conference facility will be setup in schools.
• 15 new Atal Aadarsh Vidya Kendras will be started in various Assembly Constituencies.
• A new CV Raman Virtual Classrooms Yojna will be started.
• A new “Khel Se Swasthya” Yojna will be started in educational institutions.
• A new “Atal Nirmal Jal Yojna” will be started to provide water filters in schools.

Technical Education and Skill Development:

• Skill Development assistance will be provided to disabled persons under a new scheme “Navdharana”.
• 50 ITIs will be modernized which will enable intake of 5,500 additional students.
• Two large playgrounds with Gym facilities per Assembly Constitutency to be constructed under ‘Mukhya Mantri Yuva Nirman Yojna’.

Youth Affairs and Sports:

• A new “Khel Kood Pratibha Khoj Karyakram” will be started.
• A new “Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Protsahan Yojna” will be started.

Information and PR:

• Free Lap-Tops to be provided to State and district level accredited journalists.
• The financial assistance under “Patrakaar Kalyan Yojna” will be doubled.

Health:

• 500 Health Sub Centres and 125 Primary Health Centres will be upgraded to Health and Wellness Centres.
• Health Institutions will be upgraded under “Sampuran Swasthya Yojna”.
• Cath Lab will be established in Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College Mandi and Dr. Y.S. Parma Medical College, Nahan.
• Digital Subtraction Angiography Machine will be setup in IGMC, Shimla.
• New SAHARA scheme to provide financial assistance to patients belonging to weaker sections of the society and suffering from serious ailments requiring prolonged treatment and after care.
• The diet allowance to the HIV-AIDS infected persons will be increased to Rs.1,500 per month.
• The assistance under “Janani Suraksha Yojna” will be increased to Rs.1,100.
• Mobile Diagnostic Vans will be introduced to diagnose and prevent breast and cervical cancer.
• 288 crore for Ayurveda during 2019-20.

Women Empowerment and Child Development related issues in HP Budget 2019-20:

• Honorarium of ASHA workers will be increased.
• Free Health Insurance cover under HIMCARE for MGNREGA workers, who have completed atleast 50 days of wage employment, and widows drawing social security pension. Subsidised health insurance cover for outsourced employees.
• Widows less than 45 years of age will be assisted in upgrading their skills and getting employment. Reservation in admissions in ITIs and Nursing Institutions will be provided to them.
• After Care Homes will be established for the orphans completing the age of 18 years. They will also be provided training.
• Honorarium of the Anganwari workers, Mini Anganwari Workers and Anganwari helpers will be increased.

Ex-Servicemen and Freedom Fighters related measures in HP Budget 2019-20:

• The social security pension of more than 5 lakh pensioners of the State will be increased.
• War Memorial will be constructed in Nurpur.

Tribal Development:

• It is proposed to skill tribal youth and artisans under “Border Area Development Programme”. Under the Special Central Assistance, the tribal youth and artisans will be provided training in handloom and handicrafts, computer skills etc

• Rs 1564/- crore for Tribal Development during 2019-20.

Home/Law and Order related measures in Himachal Pradesh Budget 2019-20

• The financial assistance for undergoing SSB coaching will be increased to Rs.12,000.
• 100 police chowkis of the State will be designated as Reporting Police Chowkis so that FIRs can be registered in them.
• Head Constables will be authorized to investigate Excise Crime. Graduate Police Constable will also be authorized to investigate certain offences.
• “Yuva Navjeevan Board” will be setup to develop a coordinated strategy to deal with trafficking and consumption of narcotics. Five de-addiction and rehabilitation centres will also be established.

Employee Welfare Measure in Himachal Pradesh Budget 2019-20:

• Nearly 20,000 functional posts will be filled-up.
• New pay-scales will be granted after recommendations of the Punjab Pay Commission.
• The State Government’s contribution of 10 percent under NPS will be increased to 14 percent.
• Necessary changes will be made in the policy for giving employment on compassionate grounds.
• DA to employees and DR to pensioners at the rate of 4 percent will be given from 1st July, 2018.

Please comment if there any error in the above article. Also comment if there is something important in the Himachal Budget 2019-20, which i have missed in the above article.