MP budget focuses on infra, women and tribal welfare; no new tax

Madhya Pradesh budget 2024-25: No new taxes, increased allocations for infrastructure, women, tribals; opposition protests alleged scam.

Madhya Pradesh government on July 3 presented the State budget for 2024-25 with an outlay of ₹3.65 lakh crore, marking major allocations for the infrastructure development and welfare of women and tribals.

No new taxes were announced in the budget, which state Finance Minister Jagdish Devda termed as "sarvsparshi" (all-inclusive).

Mr. Devda presented the budget in the State Legislative Assembly amid ruckus created by the opposition Congress over the issue of an alleged nursing college scam.

The CBI is probing the alleged scam pertaining to gross irregularities in the functioning of several nursing colleges that lacked infrastructure while some existed only on paper.

Talking to reporters after presenting the budget, Mr. Devda said the behaviour of the opposition members in the House was highly condemnable.

"The budget for the year 2024-25 has been made keeping in view the doubling of the budget size in next five years, increasing capital investment, expansion of roads, irrigation and electricity facilities, quality health facilities, attracting investment for employment generation and good governance," Mr. Devda said in his speech.

Amid continuous sloganeering by the opposition, the government presented an outlay of ₹3.65 lakh crore for the financial year 2024-25, which is 16% more than that of the previous year.