Haryana Budget 2021-22 Highlights: From Kisan Mitra Yojana, Film Cities to Special Education Zones; Here Are The Key Takeaways From CM Manohar Lal Khattar's Speech

Chandigarh, March 12: The Haryana government on Friday unveiled the state budget for the upcoming financial year. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar presented the Haryana Budget 2021-22 in the state assembly. He proposed a budget worth Rs 1,55,645 Crore, which is 13 per cent higher than the outgoing fiscal's budget at Rs 1,37,738 crore. In lines with the Union Finance Minister, Khattar was also a paperless budget. Haryana Budget 2021-22: CM Manohar Lal Khattar Proposes to Develop Pinjore and Gurugram as Film Cities.

The major focus areas of the Haryana Budget 2021-22, which comes amid the widespread farmers' unrest over the new farm laws passed in the Parliament last year, are agriculture, health and infrastructure. Addressing the assembly, the Chief Minister said that his government has been committed to doubling farmers’ income and ensuring their well-being. Haryana Floor Test: Manohar Lal Khattar Govt Defeats No Confidence Motion; Secures 55 Votes in Assembly.

Here are The Key Takeaways From Haryana Budget 2021-22:

• A proposal to form 1000 Farmer Produce Organizations by March 2022. To promote entrepreneurship, a Crop Cluster Development Programme is under implementation.
• A revamped Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has been notified by making the scheme optional for all farmers from Kharif 2020.
• The government has taken up an initiative for imparting training to science students for testing soils and water samples to provide these services to farmers as entrepreneurs in order to increase awareness among the farmers as well as science students regarding importance of soil health management.
• A comprehensive management plan has been prepared for the management of crop residue on site and at other locations. Steps have been initiated to install 100 compressed bio-gas and bio-mass plants for utilization of crop residue in association with the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
• Subsidy of Rs 7000 per acre as an incentive to farmers for diversification from paddy to alternate crops. The target is to reduce area under paddy cultivation by 2 lakh acres during 2021-22
• Kisan Mitra Yojana will be launched to support farmers through multiple services like cash withdrawal, cash deposit, balance enquiry, pin change, new pin generation, mini statement, cheque book request, Aadhaar number updation, loan request, mobile number updation and registration of problems and feedback etc. The scheme envisages installing 1000 farmer’s ATMs in partnership with banks
• 'Har Khet Swasth Khet' scheme to be launched with focus on soil health and facilitating cropping choices based on soil quality.
• Government to establish the India International Horticulture Market (IHM) at Ganaur, Sonepat district in an area of 545 acre.
• Mukhyamantri Antyodya Parivar Utthan Abhiyan for the poorest one lakh families in Haryana has been proposed.
• State to open three bio safety Level-II laboratories with Rapid and RT-PCR diagnostics of Avian Influenza and other poultry diseases in Hisar, Sonepat and Panchkula to provide better diagnostic services in the state
• Government will ensure computerization of all 1020 government veterinary hospitals and connect them with IT network by providing all necessary infrastructure linked with Fiber to the Home (FTTH) village level fiber net
• Allocation of Rs 6,110 crore has been proposed for 2021-22, of which Rs 2,998 crore is earmarked for agriculture and farmers welfare, Rs 489 crore for horticulture, Rs 1,225 crore for animal husbandry and dairying, Rs 125 crore for fisheries and Rs 1,274 crore for cooperation.
• The health sector has been allocated Rs 7,731 crore in 2021-22 as against previous fiscal’s Rs 6,433 crore.
• Proposal to allocate Rs 50 Crore to strengthen gaushalas.
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana Scheme’ (PMMSY) initiated to develop an additional 1090 hectares saline affected area and 5000 hectares fresh water, during 2021-22 to 2024-25.
• Haryana Government proposed to develop Pinjore and Gurugram as film cities.
• A proposal to raise a women IRB battalion in Gurugram and a training institute for women police in Hisar.
• Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun Yojana is simplified for beneficiaries to get the benefit of this scheme before marriage or on the wedding day itself.
• Proposal to provide Rs 22,000 to Scheduled Caste individuals to meet the expenditure for defending their cases related to property, agriculture land, rent and reservation,and other in the courts under the Legal Aid Scheme.
• Proposal to open 4,000 playway schools will not only emphasize pre-school education but also strengthen the health, nutritional needs of children and augur overall development of a child in terms of inculcating moral values
• Proposal of creating Special Education Zones (SEZs) for targeted groups to improve the enrolment from these groups. A Gender Inclusion Fund (GIF) will be created of Rs 114.52 crore to provide higher financial assistance to girl students in these SEZs.

Apart from these, several other schemes for the upliftment of the people in the state have been proposed. However, amid the massive farmer's protest and COVID-19 outbreak, the major focus of Haryana Budget 2021-22 remained on “It is important for the budget to prioritise specific sectors that are key to leverage a rebound in the economy, particularly in times of crisis. We have identified health, agriculture and infrastructure as key priority areas that we need to focus recovery and resurgence,” said CM Manohar Lal Khattar while presenting the budget.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2021 05:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).