Chief Minister announced the Kotgarh-Thanadhar Satyanand Stokes Trail, Lata Mangeshkar Music College’, hike of Rs 2 per ltr for milkmen, hike in honorarium for representatives of PRIs and urban local bodies, anganvadis, women, poor sections, pensioners with 60 years age, GARUD scheme using drones, Mobile Health clinics among other things in his attempt to woo every section. But Thakur did not make any announcement on old pension scheme(OPS) for pensioners, who had staged a massive protest in support of OPS here yesterday.
Out of every Rs 100, Rs. 26 is spent on salary, Rs. 15 on pension, Rs. 10 on interest payment, Rs. 11 on loan repayment, Rs. 9 for grants for Autonomous Bodies. Rest of Rs. 29 will be spent on other activities including capital works in the state.
According to the Budget Estimates for the year 2022-23, the total revenue receipts are expected to Rs. 36 thousand 375 crore. Budget left behind a fiscal deficit of Rs. 9602 crore, which is 4.98 percent of the State’s Gross Domestic Product.
Revenue expenditure is estimated to be Rs 40 thousand and 278 crore. The revenue deficit is estimated to be Rs. 3903 crore. In the Revised Estimates for the year 2021-22, the total revenue receipts are Rs. 37, 312 crore and total revenue expenditure is estimated to be Rs. 37 thousand 34 crore. Thus there is a revenue surplus estimated at Rs.278 crore in revised estimates, he said.
State economy is expected to grow at 8.3 percent during 2021-22. According to the Advance Estimates for 2021-22, Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is expected to be Rs.1 lakh 75 thousand 173 crore. The estimates also indicate that the per capita income of the State will be Rs. 2 lakh 1 thousand 854 which is Rs.51 thousand 528 higher than the estimated per capita income at national level.
An outlay of Rs.12 thousand 921 crore is proposed for Development expenditure in 2022-23. Out of this, Rs.9 thousand 524 crore is proposed for the State Development Budget. An outlay of Rs.2 thousand Rs.400 crore is proposed for Scheduled Caste Development Programme and Rs.856 crore is proposed for Tribal Area Development Programme. The outlay for Backward Area Development Programme is Rs.100 crore 52 lakh, he said.
Horticulture Sector
Thakur allocated Rs. 540 crore for Horticulture Sector during 2022-23. As a mark of respect and to recognise contribution of Stayanand Stokes on his recent 75th death anniversary, Chief Minister announced developing Kotgarh-Thanadhar and adjoining areas in Shimla district as a "Satyanand Stokes Trail", bringing Horticulture, Tourism and Language and Culture Departments on board.
He said CA Stores at Chachyot, Reckong Peo, Gyabong and Chamba costing Rs.58 crore and the Grading and Packaging Houses at Rohru, Gumma, Jarol Tikker, Tuttupani and Bhunter worth Rs 75 crore will be dedicated to the people in 2022-23.
In Modern model Parala Mandi, apart from processing unit, a Freezing Chamber of 1 thousand 500 MT capacity, a Grading Packing Line of 10 MT per hour capacity and an Individually Quick Freezing (IQF) line of 1 MT per hour capacity will also be set up. As many as 13 market yards will be developed and upgraded at the cost of Rs.31 crore under JICA aided project Phase-II, to provide better marketing facilities to farmers, he said.
Laced with poems and satire at opposition Congress, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said during five years of the previous Congress Government, 779 schemes of Rs.3 thousand 200 crore were approved. “In comparison, 826 DPRs of Rs.3 thousand 452 crore were approved by NABARD during the first 4 years of our Government’s tenure”.
Agri-sector's Main Thrust is on Natural Farming
He announced Rs 583 crore for agriculture sector in 2022-23. At least 100 villages will be developed as Natural Farming villages as per Government of India standards and best 50 thousand farmers will be certified as Natural Farmers, two dedicated Natural Farming produce Mandis will be opened in the State and 10 other Mandis will have dedicated space to sell Natural Farming produce vegetables in this Mandi, he said.
He said four new Grain Mandis will be developed at a cost of Rs.15 crore at Rampur (Una), Majari (Bilaspur), Riyali and Milwa (Kangra). 20 FPOs will come up in 2022-23 --10 will relate to natural farming. One FPO each will come up in every development block of the state in the Cooperation department. 
Rs. 469 crore has been provided for Animal Husbandry Sector during 2022-23. The Gauvansh in the Gaushalas and the cow sanctuaries has increased from 6 thousand to 20 thousand with the efforts of our Government five new cow sanctuaries and Pahadi cow farm in the state in 22-23 . “We will be able to provide shelter to all cows in the State and a new law will be enacted to punish those who abandon their cow. He increased milk price by Rs. 2 per litre in 2022-23.
He said 6 lakh 35 thousand beneficiaries are being provided social security pension that will add 40 thousand applicants in 2022-23. Rs. 1662 crore has been provided for Panchayati and Rural Development during 2022-23. Thakur promised to fulfill all functional posts in the government departments, including 500 posts of doctors and others- which will provide jobs to 30,000 people.
Smart City Mission
Under Smart City Mission, 59 projects worth Rs 160 crore will be dedicated to the public in Shimla and 65 projects Rs 166 crore will be dedicated in Dharamsala in 2022-23. New works worth Rs 104 crore and Rs. 165 crore will be started in Shimla and Dharamsala, respectively, Chief Minister said.
Rs. 8412 crore has been provided for Education and Rs. 713 crore has been provided for Urban Development during 2022-23.
Giving Rs 2752 to Health sector, Thakur announced HIMCARE registration will now be done throughout the year and jail inmates will get insurance cover. New “Mukhya Mantri Mobile Clinic (M3C)” scheme to introduce Mobile Health Services at the door steps of the rural population and interior areas. Each Legislative Assembly Constituency will get mobile clinic.
Energy Sector
Chief Minister cited SJVNL’s Rs 600 crore 150 MW solar power plants in 2022-23, which also generate jobs for youth. To eliminate low voltage problem, 23 new schemes will be started in 2022-23 by constructing new 33/11 KV HT MPP and Power Aayush 33 stations and expansion in capacity of the existing 33/11 KV HT stations, which will improve the quality of power supply.
He said the new Power policy aims to make Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy state by 2030. 1,000 MW capacity hydropower projects will be dedicated to people of the state in 2022-23. The work on 4 new projects- Sai Kothi-1 (15 MW), Devi Kothi (16 MW), Sai Kothi-II (16.5 MW) and Hel (18 MW) will start in 2022-23 with help of Germany’s Development Bank KfW.
Jal Jeevan Mission
Jai Ram Thakur said Government has provided 8 lakh 35 thousand drinking water supply connections under ‘Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)’. In comparison, only 7 lakh 63 thousand drinking water supply connections had been provided in the last 72 years. By the end of 2022, domestic tap connections will be given to all rural households. About Rs. 1,500 crore will be spent under this programme in 2021-22. Rs. 2 thousand 772 crore has been provided for Jal Shakti during 2022-23.
Roads are Lifelines: He said construction of 1,060 Kilometre long motorable roads, Metalling of 2,065 Kilometre roads, Cross drainage on 990 Kilometre roads, Construction of 75 bridges, Connecting 20 Panchayats, 80 villages and 22 habitations with road, Periodic maintenance of 2 thousand 200 Kilometre roads are proposed in 2022-23.
Rs. 4 thousand 373 crore has been provided for Roads and Bridges during 2022-23.
Command and Control Centre: Thakur announced Command and Control Centre in each district headquarters to trace and prevent crimes, two cyber crime police stations in Dharamshala and Mandi.
GARUD: Chief Minister announced to start Governance and Reforms Using Drones (GARUD) based on four pillars namely – Drone-enabled Governance, Drone Mahotsav and Melas, Enabling framework for Promoting Drones and Drone Flying Training Schools. Four Flying Schools will be set up in Himachal for drone training in 2022-23, he said. He announced upgrade of State Data Centre with Rs 38 crore to meet the increasing digitization demand of Government schemes.
Drug Policy
To promote the cause of Gausewa, additional cess of Re.1 will be levied on each bottle of liquor sold. For effective implementation of Himachal Pradesh Integrated Nasha Nivaran and Drugs Policy and related activities, a Nasha Nivaran Cell will be established in the State Taxes and Excise Department to ensure better coordination between various Departments, Boards and Institutions.
Lata Mangeshkar College: He announce to start ‘Lata Mangeshkar Music College’ in the State as a tribute to ‘Swar Kokila’. A ‘Lata Mangeshkar Smriti Rajya Samman’ will be started as a tribute to Swar Kokila Bharat Rattan Lata Mangeshkar. This award will be given for contribution in the field of folk singing every year.
Alternate Connectivity
Chief Minister said Centre has allocated Rs.1868 crore for Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri rail line, Rs. 335 crore for Nangal Talwara rail line and Rs.450 crore for Baddi-Chandigarh rail line in the Union Budget of 2022-23. These allocations will speed up construction of above rail lines. Railway Ministry will prepare DPR of the Paonta Sahib-Jagadhari rail line after its survey and Centre and state will share the cost of Una-Hamirpur rail line.
The ‘Parvatmala-National Ropeways Development Programme’ and Tribal Development Alternative transportation will benefit Himachal Pradesh. Under this programme, State will sign a MoU with Centre to construct four ropeways in the State.
He said Airports Authority of India has given technical clearance for a Greenfield Airport at Balh. This Airport will have facilities and equipment for night landing and also for landing of large planes like the Airbus 320. After signing the MoU with the Airport Authority of India, the land acquisition process will be started soon. Rs. 2000 crore will be spent in the Budget for alternative transport modes in 2022-23.
Vidhayak Nidhi Yojna: Chief Ministered increased discretionary grant of MLAs to Rs 12 lakh from Rs 10 lakh. “The grant was Rs.5 lakh when my Government took office”. ‘Vidhayak Kshetra Vikas Nidhi Yojana’ will now get Rs.2 crore, he said.
SAN for Transfer of Central Schemes
To facilitate faster transfer, a Single Nodal Agency Account (SNA) is in place for all Centrally Sponsored Schemes since 2021-22. All the 91 Centrally Sponsored Schemes have been brought in the ambit of this arrangement and 30 State schemes, where DBT is given, will also be brought under this system in 2022-23, he said.
Jai Ram Thakur said the fruits of development have reached each individual of the state through these schemes under sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensuring equitable development of all regions of the state.
