In Punjab Budget, Rs 10-lakh health cover for every family, drug census

Describing the tax-free price range as roadmap for ‘Badalda (reworking) Punjab’, Cheema mentioned will probably be remembered in historical past for its potential to rework lives in each villages and cities. The price range is silent one of many key pre-election guarantees of the AAP — Rs 1,000 per 30 days to girls. Cheema, nonetheless, introduced a mortgage waiver for the Scheduled Caste beneficiaries who defaulted on loans availed from Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Improvement and Finance Company (PSCFC).

Among the many large ticket bulletins, Cheema mentioned cashless health insurance coverage scheme might be made make common and cover all of the 65 lakh households of Punjab. He mentioned that presently 45 lakh households are enrolled in authorities health insurance coverage schemes — 16 lakh underneath Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana and 29 lakh underneath the state authorities’s Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana. The insurance coverage protection for the household is Rs 5 lakh each year in these schemes.

“We’re extending the insurance coverage cover for all of the households of Punjab to Rs 10 lakh each year. This contains these enrolled within the central authorities scheme too. They are going to get an extra top-up cover of Rs 5 lakh from the state authorities. There might be no bar or discrimination — rural or city, wealthy or poor — everybody can take part on this scheme. A sum of Rs 778 crore has been allotted for this historic initiative,” mentioned Cheema.

Households coated underneath the Mukh Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana will obtain a ‘Sehat Card’ subsequent 12 months by, which they’ll avail cashless remedy of upto Rs 10 lakh at each state-run and personal hospitals.

Cheema additional introduced the ‘Rangla Punjab Vikas Scheme’ — an initiative underneath which Rs 5 crore might be allotted for every Meeting constituency on the traces of MPLAD funds.

“The fund might be administered by the district commissioners (DCs) and might be spent based mostly on the suggestions of MLAs, group organizations, citizen teams and public-spirited residents. This fund might be an enormous enabler in guaranteeing all-round improvement of all districts throughout all sectors corresponding to development and restore of roads and bridges, street-lights, clinics, hospitals, colleges, water, sanitation and so on,” he mentioned, whereas allocating Rs 585 crore for the scheme.

In one other initiative, Cheema introduced a primary ever ‘drug census’ subsequent 12 months.

“This Census will cover every family and can acquire knowledge to know the prevalence of drug dependancy within the state, the utilization of de-addiction facilities, in addition to accumulating knowledge on socio-economic standing of the folks of Punjab. We are going to use this knowledge to craft an efficient and scientific technique to eradicate the issue of medication throughout the subsequent 1-2 years. Our authorities proposes to spend Rs 150 crore on this initiative,” he mentioned.

The Rs 2,36,080-crore price range has estimated the income deficit and financial deficit at Rs 23,957 crore and Rs 34,201 crore, respectively, for the subsequent monetary 12 months. It has proposed Rs 9,992 crore as energy subsidy for the agriculture sector and Rs 7,614 crore for free 300 models of energy to home shoppers.

To incentivise crop diversification, a brand new scheme masking the districts of Bathinda, Kapurthala and Gurdaspur is being launched for Kharif maize crop.

On stubble burning concern, he mentioned it’s a nationwide concern and the Punjab authorities is dedicated to addressing it. He mentioned in a transfer in the direction of sustainability and environmental duty, the state authorities has dedicated Rs 60 crore in capital subsidies to assist industries transitioning to paddy stubble-based boilers.

Cheema mentioned the price of availing doorstep supply of presidency companies is being lowered from Rs 120 to Rs 50.

Presenting his fourth price range, Cheema mentioned, Chief Minister Mann’s “unwavering dedication to the welfare of our folks has guided us in delivering transformative change throughout a number of sectors, laying a robust basis for a affluent and empowered Punjab”.