Chhattisgarh budget's focus is infra growth in bastar areas

Chhattisgarh budget's focus is infra growth in bastar areas

New Delhi: The Chhattisgarh government presented a ₹1.65-lakh crore budget with special focus on infrastructure development, especially in the Maoist-affected Bastar region, through special schemes for roads and mobile towers.

Finance minister OP Choudhary reduced VAT on petrol, thereby reducing the price by 1 per litre. He also proposed the setting up of a pension fund for all government employees. The government expects an 11% increase in income without imposing any new taxes.

Choudhary said, ‘In the last budget we laid the foundation of inclusive growth with GYAN - Garib, Yuva, Annadaata and Naari... In this budget, I will mention the gameplan of GATI to achieve inclusive growth for GYAN. GATI means good governance, accelerating infrastructure, technology and industrial growth. GATI is essential not only for GYAN but also our long-term aim of 'Viksit Chhattisgarh' by 2047.’

With the BJP government's emphasis on ending Maoism by 2026, the budget has proposed the formation of a special operation group, modelled on the National Security Guard. While the contours of this group haven't been made public, the official statement said.

The state's Salwa Judum, armed militia to fight Maoists which was formed by the BJP government under Raman Singh in 2008, has been controversial and was disbanded after a Supreme Court order. The move to form an SOG will be watched to see if there are any such parallels.

To bolster law enforcement, the government has earmarked provisions to create 3,200 new police posts and open police stations in two Maoist-affected villages - Elmagunda and Dabbakonta. These steps are aimed at improving the region's security infrastructure and supporting the ongoing efforts to eliminate Maoism.

A key highlight of the budget is a substantial allocation of 26,341 crore for capital expenditure, an 18% increase over the previous year. The government plans to use this fund to build essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals.