MP budget announces cow welfare fund, hikes Haj committee grant

In its maiden budget, the recently formed MP government allocates ₹132 crore for the welfare of bovines and hiked grant to the state Waqf Board and Haj committee.

Bhopal: The Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday presented its maiden budget aiming to please various sections of society wherein it has proposed to allocate ₹132 crore for the welfare of bovines and hiked grant to the state Waqf Board and Haj committee.

The budget, presented by Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot, also proposes a three-fold hike in the honorarium for the priests working in the registered temples.

The minister said that a budgetary allocation of ₹8,000 crore has been made to waive remaining loans of the farmers in the state. He said that the ruling Congress had written off loans worth ₹7,000 crore of 20 lakh farmers within 128 days of coming to power.

"A provision has been made to generate employment for youths under which the skill training programme would be given an impetus. "Besides, the grants for the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board and the Haj committee have been hiked. More than Rs 821 crore has been earmarked for the OBC and Minorities Department," Bhanot said.

"Scriptures revere cows and for this, a grant of Rs 132 crore has been proposed for the welfare of bovines," he said, adding that the private sector would also be roped in for this purpose. Bhanot also said that the budget proposes a three-fold hike in the honorarium for the priests working in registered temples.