Madhya Pradesh tables first state budget under CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, Jagdish Devda, presented the interim budget (vote-on-account) for FY 2024-25 for approximately Rs 1 lakh 45 thousand crore in the assembly in Bhopal on Monday here.

He said the government’s focus is on Modi's guarantee and to transform Madhya Pradesh to a developed state. The first interim budget of CM Mohan Yadav is only for four months (1st April to 31st July) to meet/manage its expenditure in various schemes.

The amount allotted in the interim budget will be merged with the full budget likely to be tabled in July 2024. The fiscal budget (full budget) of the state for FY 2024-25 is estimated to be approx. 3 lakh 48 thousand nine hundred and eighty-six crore.

Devda said the interim budget for four-months is to take care of expenditure alone and there are no new items or fresh proposals in the budget. The Finance Minister said that the state government is committed to deliver on the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Guarantees.

Meanwhile, the opposition party Congress expressed disappointment abut the budget, including Modi’s guarantees, echoed by the treasury benches.

The Assembly's Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said, "we do not believe in Modi ki guarantee sloganeering. Why the gas cylinder prices are skyrocketing and have not been brought down to Rs 450/ per cylinder as promised by them, why the MSP on food grain remained static and not been increased. Unless the promises are not delivered on ground, the Modi ki guarantee has no relevance to us and is just a catchy phrase."

The issue of income tax notices allegedly being selectively served to Congress leaders also did the rounds among opposition members today.

Umang Singhar alleged that that the BJP government was partisan and trying to blackmail Congress leaders. Another Congress MLA Vikrant Bhuria, son of Kantilal Bhuria, said, "we believe in Gandhi's principle and not Godse's ideology who tendered apology. We will appear and answer before any agency."