AGRICULTURE
OUTLAY INCREASED BY 52% TO RS 885 CR
Done: The government has increased the allocation for Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) from Rs 124 crore last year to Rs 189 crore now. It has allocated Rs 87 crore for an integrated scheme for oilseeds, pulses and maize and intensive cotton development. A sum of Rs 88 crore has been kept for the national horticulture mission and Rs 137 crore for strengthening agriculture and allied services. Kheti Bhawan will come up at Mohali at a cost of Rs 15 crore which will house all offices of the Agriculture Department. A sum of Rs 48 crore has been earmarked for rainwater harvesting and Rs 35 crore for micro irrigation.
Not Done: The Budget says that the wheat- paddy-cropping pattern is not sustainable but falls short of giving a concrete solution to the problem. It claims the state is making efforts to increase the area under cotton, maize, oilseeds and pulses. But it has neither earmarked money nor spelt out incentives for opting for diversification.
Expert’s view: Economist Ranjit Singh Ghuman feels the Budget has missed an opportunity to spell out a plan for diversification. He says crop diversification alone will not help. Public sector investment is needed in the agriculture sector. This alone will result in the private sector also chipping in.Minister speak: Dhindsa says diversification will come about via research and the government has taken the first step by increasing allocation for research. He says the government has taken the initiative to set up the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) at Ludhiana which will focus on improvement of maize and wheat varieties.
MEDICAL EDUCATION
OUTLAY RAISED TO RS 198 CRORE
Done: The outlay for medical education has also increased from Rs 132 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 198 crore this financial year. The important projects include Rs 60 crore additional central assistance for cancer diagnostic and treatment centre at Bathinda, Rs 78 crore for upgradation of three medical and two dental colleges, Rs 35 crore for Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and Rs 12 crore for Guru Ravi Das Ayurvedic University, Hoshiarpur
HEALTH
OUTLAY EARMARKED AT RS 1,369 CR
This has been made a priority sector. The government plans to spend Rs 1,369 crore on this sector, with Rs 260 crore under the Plan and Rs 1109 crore under non-Plan. The important allocations include Rs 424 crore for providing health care to rural population, Rs 21 crore for emergency response services, Rs 42 crore for strengthening urban health infrastructure, Rs 30 crore for treatment of cancer patients, Rs 20 crore for cash incentive of Rs 1,000 to women for deliveries in government hospitals, Rs 69 crore for upgradation for gynaecology and children wards in various districts, Rs 60 crore to provide free generic drugs to all patients in government hospitals and Rs 5 crore for setting up food and drug administration.
EDUCATION
OUTLAY INCREASED TO RS 1,095 CR
Done: The Plan allocation for education has been increased from Rs 748 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 1,095 crore in 2012-13. The government has committed the lion's share of Rs 1,067 crore for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rs 253 crore for the mid- day meal scheme, Rs 247 crore for the ICT project to impart computer education from Class VI to XII, Rs 369 crore for Rashtirya Madhyamik Sikhsha Abhiyan. For higher education and technical education, the outlay has been increased from Rs 228 crore to Rs 313 crore.
Not Done: The government has decided to give tablets and not laptops as promised in its manifesto to Class XII students.
Minister speak: Dhindsa says tablets are more user-friendly. Next year these would be provided to both Class XI and Class XII students.
Done: This sector with an outlay of Rs 3,300 crore gets the lion's share- 25 per cent of the total Plan outlay. A sum of Rs 1,095 crore has been earmarked for transmission, Rs 731 crore for generation, Rs 769 crore distribution, Rs 680 crore for the reforms programme.
POWER
OUTLAY PEGGED AT RS 3,300 CR
Not Done: The Budget mentions that work is on full steam for completion of three private sector thermal power projects of 3920 MW but fails to allocate money for any project to be commissioned by the state.
Minister speak: Dhindsa says only tentative figures have been given as the Electricity Regulatory Commission is yet to come out with the final figures.
INDUSTRY
OUTLAY HERE IS A MODEST RS 54 CR
Done: Industries has been given a benefit of Rs 426 crore under a one-time settlement policy. The government has allocated Rs 15 crore for NIIFT, Mohali, Rs 10 crore for upgradation of Focal Points, a Rs 10 crore dedicated fund for meeting state's share in various schemes, Rs 5 crore for development of human resources in IT and Rs 5 crore for promotion of the IT industry.
Not Done: No concrete plan to develop Mohali and Amritsar as IT and knowledge hubs as promised in the poll manifesto. The Budget speaks of the need to develop facilities for cold chain processing and marketing of agriculture produce but no money put aside for this.
EMPLOYMENT
RS 28 CR FOR EMPLOYMENT GENERATION
Done: An outlay of Rs 28 crore has been provided for employment generation and training. Under this, Rs 15 crore has been earmarked for Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Services Preparatory Institute, Rs 10 crore for Centres for Training and Employment of Punjab youth (C-PYTE) and Rs 3 crore for skills development and training.
Not Done: The government has tweaked the promise made in its manifesto to give an unemployment dole of Rs 1,000 per month. This has been turned into a skill upgradation allowance which will be given to only 30,000 unemployed youths registered with employment exchanges.
Minister speak: Dhindsa says the manifesto had clearly mentioned this promise as an employability allowance.
FARM DEBT
THIS IS ESTIMATED AT RS 3,500 CR
The Budget says rural debt at Rs 35,000 crore has assumed alarming proportions. It says a scheme for financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the dependents of such families will be launched this year for which Rs 30 crore has been provided.
Not Done: The government had in 2001 announced to provide Rs 2.5 lakh for dependents of farmers driven to suicide. Now, the government has reduced this figure
SPORTS
OUTLAY DOUBLED TO RS 104 CR
* Rs 40 crore for State College of Sports, Jalandhar, for upgrading to Punjab Institute of Sports
* Rs13 crore for playground facilities in 1,233 villages
* Rs10 crore for synthetic hockey surfaces in district stadiums
* Rs9 crore for gymnasium equipment
* Rs7 crore for upgrading stadiums and purchase of sports equipment
* Rs1.5 crore for scholarship to sportspersons
IRRIGATION
OUTLAY AT RS 1,128 CRORE
* Rs80 crore for relining of Rajashthan feeder
* Rs60 crore for relining of canals
* Rs245 crore for completion of 18 km of Kandi canal Phase II project
* Rs300 crore for lining of water courses
* Rs109 crore for flood protection and anti-waterlogging
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
OUTLAY AT RS 837 CRORE
* Rs330 crore for MGNREGS
* Rs120 crore for rural livelihood mission
* Rs88 crore for Indira Awas Yojana
* Rs150 crore for construction of rural toilets
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
OUTLAY RAISED TO RS 181 CR
* Rs101 crore for GADVASU
* Rs91 crore for upgrading veterinary institutions
* Rs5 crore for Animal Welfare Board
* Rs11 crore for development of fisheries
DAIRY DEVELOPMENT
OUTLAY INCREASED TO RS 93 CR
* Rs50 crore for modernisation of verka and other two milk plants
* Rs24 crore for quality and clean milk production
* Rs14 crore for strengthening the Punjab Dairy Development Board
URBAN DEVELOPMENTOUTLAY AT RS 470 CRORE
* Rs60 crore for National River Conservation Programme
* Rs50 crore for Amritsar sewerage project
* Rs106 crore for JNURM
* Rs30 crore for Rajiv Awaas Yojana
* Rs100 crore for STPs for treating water for irrigation
* Rs50 crore for providing water supply, sewerage and setting up of STPs
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