Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presents the annual budget for 2025-26 during the budget session of the state Assembly in Bhopal on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday presented the State’s annual Budget for the fiscal year of 2025-26 in the Assembly, with a total outlay of ₹4,21,032 crore, and a focus on industry and agriculture.
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This is the first Budget of a Madhya Pradesh government that has crossed the ₹4 lakh crore mark, with about 15% higher allocation than the previous Budget of ₹3.65 lakh crore.
“The Budget estimate of total revenue receipts in the year 2025-26 is ₹2,90,879 crore. In revenue receipts, receipts from State taxes are estimated at ₹1,09,157 crore, and receipts under the State’s share in Central taxes at ₹1,11,662 crore,” Mr. Devda, who presented his fifth consecutive State Budget, said.
No provisions have been made this year for any new tax or any increase in existing taxes, the Minister said.
Amid the State government’s ongoing push for investment and industrial growth, Mr. Devda said that 39 new industrial areas would be developed across Madhya Pradesh. “This will create more than three lakh employment opportunities,” he said.
Mr. Devda announced overall allocations for various sectors, including ₹58,257 crore for agriculture, ₹23,533 crore for health, ₹19,000 crore for energy, ₹18,715 crore for urban development, and ₹19,500 for rural development.
The State Finance Minister also said that ₹18,669 crore had been allocated for the government’s flagship Ladli Behna Scheme.
He said that the 1.27 crore beneficiaries of the scheme, under which eligible women receive a monthly allowance of ₹1,250, will be linked with the Central government’s schemes, including the Atal Pension Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and the PM Suraksha Bima Yojana.
However, no increase was announced in the amount given to women as had been promised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its manifesto ahead of 2023 Assembly election.
Mr. Devda’s speech witnessed some disruptions by the Opposition Congress legislators, who protested against issues faced by farmers, and the government’s debt. Opposition MLAs also staged a walkout when Mr. Devda provided details on the State’s financial health.
Congress MLAs staged a protest inside the Assembly premises, wearing shackles and carrying black bundles on their heads to symbolise the “burden on the public” due to the government’s debt.
Published – March 12, 2025 05:46 pm IST
