Punjab Budget 2022: This was the first budget of the state’s ruling AAP, and came a little more than three months after the party was elected to power here.
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday tabled the first budget of the state’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, three months after the AAP stormed to power by winning the assembly elections, held here on February 20.
Here are some key announcements made by Cheema in his first budget speech:
(1.) Over the next five years, the Bhagwant Mann-led government will set up as many as 16 medical colleges covering every corner of the state. With this, the total number of medical colleges here will rise to 25.
(2.) ‘As many as 117 ’Mohalla Clinics’ will be established this year, of which 75 will be operationalised by August 15. An initial outlay of ₹77 crore proposed for this.
The concept is inspired from the ‘Mohalla Clinics’ set up by the AAP government in the neighbouring Union territory of Delhi.
(3.) Taking another leaf out of the Delhi government’s book, the ‘Farishtey’ scheme will be rolled out in the border province as well. Under this, a person can get a victim of a road accident to any hospital in the state. The injured will get free treatment, the entire cost for which will be borne by the Mann-led dispensation.
(4.) A total of ₹11,560 crore to be set aside for the agriculture sector. To provide free power to agricultural tubewells, ₹6,947 crore will be spent.
(5.) To find solutions to stubble burning, a major issue that plagues Punjab, Haryana and Delhi in October-November, ₹200 crore allocated.
