Gairsain, Mar 16 (KNN) The Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal on Wednesday presented a Rs 77,407.08 crore budget for 2023-24.

Tabling the budget, Finance Minister Aggarwal said it is an inclusive budget that reaches out to the last man on the street, youth, farmers, and women, and gives priority to the deprived.

Uttrakahand Budget 2023–24 has made the largest allocation of Rs 10,459.55 crore for education and youth welfare, followed by the health department, which has received an allocation of Rs 4,217.87 crore for infrastructural development.

Addressing the state assembly, Aggarwal said, "Making better healthcare facilities available to the common people is our priority. Uttarakhand is the first state in the country where every family enjoys the facility of cashless or free treatment under the Atal Ayushman Yojana, for which an allocation of Rs 400 crore has been made in the budget."

An allocation of Rs 1,294.15 crore has been made for agriculture, out of which Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for the promotion of local produce and Rs 15 crore for the state's millet mission.

Other key allotments include Rs 1,000 crore for relief measures in land-subsidence-hit towns, including Joshimath; Rs 500 crore has been set aside for the Lakhwar power project; Rs 343 crore for civic bodies; and Rs 2,850 crore for social welfare, women's welfare, and child welfare departments.

During the budget presentation, the finance minister informed that the budget has a revenue surplus of Rs 4,309.55 crore. There is an increase of 18.05 per cent in this year's total budget expenditure and a rise of 21.16 per cent in capital expenditure compared to last year.

"The budget reflects our commitment to the goal of building a leading Uttarakhand by the year 2025. It is focused on boosting the development of basic infrastructure, expanding the green cover, and promoting entrepreneurship," the minister said.

The state government, through this budget, aims to put emphasis on investment in human capital, increase in capital expenditure, better availability of healthcare facilities, technology-based development, and coordination between ecology and economy.   (KNN Bureau)