Bhopal, February 18 Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the state's "women-centric" budget for 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs 4,38,317 crore on Wednesday, and said no new taxes would be imposed.
Devda presented the third consecutive budget of the Mohan Yadav government amid interruptions from the Opposition, which raised concerns over the "mounting debt" burden on the people of the state.
In his nearly 90-minute speech, the finance minister said the budget is framed on the model "GYANII - Garib Kalyan (poor), Yuva Shakti (youth), Annadata (farmers), Nari Shakti (women empowerment), Infrastructure and Industry".
Allocations of about 3 lakh crore have been made for these areas, he said.
Devda announced provisions of Rs 1,27,555 crore for various women welfare schemes, including self-help groups and the Ujjwala Yojana. He said 5,700 hostels would be constructed for working women.
The budget has provisioned Rs 23,883 crore for the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' under which over 1.25 crore women receive monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 each. The government has so far disbursed Rs 52,304 crore under the programme launched in 2023.
The finance minister announced a special provision of Rs 3,600 crore for the mega religious event Simhastha Kumbh to be held in Ujjain in 2028.
An allocation of Rs 40,062 crore has been proposed for the Panchayat and Rural Development Department.
Devda announced that 15,000 teachers would be recruited, while milk in tetra packs would be provided for free to children up to Class 8 in government schools.
He said no new taxes would be imposed in the state.
The finance minister announced an allocation of Rs 10,428 crore for the rural employment guarantee scheme 'G RAM G' and Rs 900 crore for the PM Janman scheme, which is dedicated to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
He also announced that 1 lakh farmers would be provided with solar pumps.
Besides, a provision of Rs 1,335 crore has been proposed for the Labour Department, Rs 12,690 crore for road repairs and Rs 4,454 crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Devda said the budget is aimed at realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Viksit Bharat vision. Ensuring justice for every woman is the government’s objective, and providing employment to the youth is its resolve, he asserted.
During the budget speech, Congress MLAs raised slogans over the non-enhancement of the MLA fund and trooped into the well. Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar urged them to maintain order and return to their seats.
Congress legislators also said the state’s debt was continuously increasing and while the government was maintaining all was hunky-dory.
Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar claimed the government’s borrowing of Rs 5,600 crore even before the budget session is a sign that the state is being burdened with debt.
The government is “living on a fortune” by borrowing from public tax money and is spreading only illusions in the name of development, he alleged.
