MP budget may cross Rs 4 lakh crore, to be tabled on March 12

Bhopal, March 1 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh government is poised to unveil a significantly sizeable fiscal year 2025-26 budget, anticipated to surpass Rs 4 lakh crore. Noteworthy provisions are expected to address underprivileged sectors and the grand celebration of Ujjain Simhastha Mahakumbh, which will take place in 2028.

This grand religious event, held every twelve years, attracts millions of devotees, and significant financial allocations are anticipated to ensure its successful organisation.

The Budget is in its final stages of preparation and will be presented in the state assembly on March 12. This session is expected to be contentious, with the Opposition Congress preparing to confront the government over multiple agencies’ raids including that of the Enforcement Directorate’s targeting properties linked to transport department constable Saurabh Sharma.

The Legislative Assembly session will begin on March 10, with Governor Mangubhai Patel set to inaugurate proceedings with his address. The state government will present the Economic Survey on March 11, followed by the Budget presentation by Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda on March 12. The second supplementary budget for 2024-25 will be tabled on March 11 and voting on the same will take place on March 17.

The Budget session will encompass nine sittings, which is a point of contention for Congress, which advocates for additional meetings. The session, which will span from March 10 to March 24, will observe holidays for Holi from March 14 to 16, Rangpanchami on March 19, and the weekend of March 22 and 23.

As the assembly session commences, members are expected to seek answers to a myriad of questions. The assembly has received a substantial total of 2,900 questions, with over 1,750 submitted online and approximately 1,150 offline. These questions cover a broad spectrum of departments.

The stage is set for a dynamic and potentially heated Budget session, with the Opposition poised to challenge the government’s decisions and policies on several issues – with a prime focus on corruption.

–IANS

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