Dedicating it to farmers and labourers, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Monday presented the state Budget with an outlay of Rs 1,68,015 crore for the financial year 2021-22. While presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Badal termed it a zero-deficit Budget prepared according to present resources with the state government.

Keeping in mind the International Women’s Day being observed today, Badal announced free travel facilities for women in state run buses besides a considerable hike of Rs 30,000 (Rs 51000 from Rs. 21000) under the Punjab Ashirwad Scheme. He also announced an increase in old age pension from Rs. 750 to Rs. 1500.Focusing on the farm sector, the government will waive loans worth Rs 1,186 crore of 1.13 lakh farmers and Rs 526 crore of landless farmers in the next phase under the crop loan waiver scheme in 2021-22, Badal announced in his Budget speech.

Under 'Kamyaab Kisan Khushaal Punjab', Rs 3,780 crore will be spent in the next three years and Rs 1,104 crore allocated for 2021-22.The Punjab Finance Minister announced that a centre of excellence for vegetables will be set up at Fazilka while a post-graduate Institute of Horticulture Research will be set up at Amritsar. Moreover, mobile vending carts will be provided to farmers.He also announced setting up of an Agricultural Marketing Innovation Research and Intelligence Centre at Mohali.

Rs 200 crore has been set aside for crop diversification, announced Badal, adding that Agriculture Development Bureaus will be set up in each district. There will be a special emphasis on horticulture as Rs 361 crore has been allocated for it in 2021-22.

Providing a big relief to government employees, Badal announced implementation of recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission from July 1, 2021. The recommendations will be received by March 31 and will be implemented from July 1, 2021, said the Punjab Finance Minister. The arrears will be given in instalments and Rs 9,000 crore has been set aside for the same, he said.Badal also announced filling up of 48,989 posts in the state government in the first phase against 1 lakh vacancies.

For subsidised electricity, the government has earmarked Rs 1,928 crore during 2021-22.Punjab Sugarcane Research Development Institute will come up in Kalanaur while sugar mills in Gurdaspur and Batala will be upgraded, he said. Rs 300 crore is to be set aside for buying sugarcane, Badal added.

He also said that the government has proposed an amount of Rs 160 crore for upgradation of 124 rural roads and 13 bridges with the assistance of NABARD. All streetlights in cities in Punjab will be replaced with LEDs by December 2021, Badal said.

Two new medical colleges and hospitals were also announced by him. The colleges will be set up at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, entailing an expenditure of Rs 650 crore. A virology centres will be set up at the Government Medical College Amritsar and the National Institute of Virology at Mohali.

He also announced that 250 schools will be upgraded and Rs 100 crore will be spent on providing smart phones to Class XII students. Rs 140 crore has been allocated for digital education, Rs 100 crore for up-gradation of government colleges and Rs 1064 crore for GNDU, Punjabi University, PAU and Rajiv Gandhi National Law University.

Manpreet Badal said that the government has allocated Rs 100 crore for Guru Teg Bahadur’s birth anniversary celebrations and Rs 100 crore for a museum on Baba Sahib Ambedkar to be set up in Kapurthala.