Senior most Congress leader, Horticulture and Irrigation & Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes today hailed the Octogenarian Chief Minister Mr. Virbhadra Singh for making new record after giving four hour and thirty minute 20th historic Budget Speech in the house on Mar 10 at the age of 83 yrs terming unprecedented. Speaking in the budget discussion soon after launch break today, Ms Stokes observed that budget speech is self explanatory that it did not left any section, untouched and un-benefited.
Minister who is prominent woman Orchardist pointed out that Chief minster was equally benevolent toward members of Opposition as budget found inclusion of their priority scheme with the equal zenith. “If it burdens per ca-pita debt on the other hand per capita income of people also went up to 1.47 lac per annum in the state. She said that state growth rate stood at the rate of 6.8 per cent per year which exceeded the national growth rate. ” She pointed out.
She said that the State recorded un-parallel development in all sphere of life as the state economic condition is robust and on right tack. She said that government assured to bring a policy to regularised the services of outsource employees which would help the needy youth in thousands moreover the budget also provides job avenues to 19000 youth. Ms Stokes said that budget did not reveal that it mere jugglery of figures and election promise to allure voters as alleged by the Opposition. She also blamed that it was last BJP rule who mislead the employees and youth.
She said that budget provide about Rs 2238 Crore allocation for the IPH which include expenditure render by department to pay the power bill for lifting water supply scheme. She appreciated that budget provision in agriculture and horticulture sector specially encouraging. Making an appeal to the house, Ms. Stokes said all the legislators need to rise from the party lines and approach Centre Government collectively for getting more and more finances from the state as it was a question of the development of the state.
Congress legislator and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Nand Lal appreciated Chief Minister for presenting a tax free budget. Terming the budget to be historic, Nand Lal said that the public will answer the opposition, which was criticising the positive efforts of the government. Dwelling on the charges of corruption, BJP legislator Virender Kanwar alleged that large scale misappropriation of funds had been done in forest department. He said that the government had proposed growth of forest on 15000 hectare in 2017-18, but it should first tell the people that how many new area was brought under forest in the last 4 years of government’s tenure.
