Unemployment allowance figures prominently in pre-election Chhattisgarh Budget

The Bhupesh Baghel government lays stress on education, agriculture and rural economy

In its pre-election Budget, the Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh on Monday announced that it would provide ₹2,500 monthly allowance to educated unemployed youth in the State. 

Presenting the ₹1,21,500-crore deficit Budget in the Assembly — in which the maximum share [₹19,489 crore] has been provisioned for the School Education department — Mr. Baghel also announced new 101 Swami Atmanand English Medium Schools. 

While the focus on rural areas is apparent with Panchayat and Rural Development, and Agriculture departments cornering over ₹ 20,000 crore between them, several urban infrastructure projects — including a light metro service connecting Nava Raipur and Durg  — have also been announced. 

The honorarium for Anganwadi workers, home guard personnel and others such as gram patels and cooks under the mid-day meal scheme and sanitation workers in government schools has been increased. With elections scheduled a few months away, the government hasn’t introduced any new tax proposal for 2023-24 in its last Budget of the outgoing Assembly. 

“A new scheme to give allowance to the unemployed will be launched. Under the scheme, unemployed youth in the age group of 18 to 35 who passed Class 12, and with an annual family income of less than ₹2.50 lakh, will be given an allowance of ₹2,500 per month,” Mr. Baghel said in his budget speech. 

An amount of ₹250 crore has been allocated for the unemployment allowance, one of the key poll promise made by the Congress before the 2018 Assembly polls. 

The government’s announcements of increasing the scholarship to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class students studying in hostels-ashrams and Prayas schools from ₹1,000 per month to ₹1,500 per month, and expanding the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhoomiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana to the rural areas as well as to the Nagar Panchayat areas, are in tune with some of the resolutions adopted during the AICC’s 85th plenary session held in Nava Raipur recently.