BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh deputy CM and finance minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday presented the state budget of Rs 4,21,032 crore for 2025-26, a 15% increase in outlay over the 2024-25 estimate of Rs 3,65,067 crore. There are no new taxes and no hike in existing taxes. Govt assured that no welfare scheme would be stopped, but several key schemes faced fund cuts.
Ladli Behna Yojana — seen as the gamechanger in 2023 assembly election — got the lion’s share of funds, but it was trimmed by Rs 315 crore. This year’s allocation of Rs 18,669 crore is lower than last year’s Rs 18,984 crore.
The Ladli budgetary allocation is higher than those for PM Modi’s flagship schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission (Rs 17,136 crore), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Rs 2001 crore), PM Awas Yojana (Rs 4,400 crore) and PM Gram Sadak Yojana (Rs 1,550 crore).
Devda said Ladli Behna beneficiaries will be linked to central schemes like Atal Pension Yojana, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana.
Under Ladli, beneficiaries get Rs 1,250 a month.
When the scheme was launched, govt had promised that the Rs 1,000 payout would be gradually increased to Rs 3,000 per month. But the last hike was in Oct 2023, a month ahead of polls.
Cuts were also announced in Ladli Laxmi Yojana, PM Gram Sadak Yojana, and even allocation for govt schools. The allocation for primary schools has been reduced from Rs 15,509 crore to Rs 11,837 crore, and that for secondary schools from Rs 9,258 crore to Rs 7,206 crore.
Funds for Ladli Laxmi Yojana have been trimmed from Rs 1,231 crore to Rs 1,183 crore. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has faced a cut from Rs 1,788 crore to Rs 1,550 crore.
Dewda said focus has been on PM’ s categorisation of GYAN — ‘garib’ (poor), ‘yuva’ (youth), ‘annadaata’ (farmers) and ‘nari’ (women). “This is a budget for development. Our target is to increase per capita income from Rs 1.4 lakh to Rs 22.3 lakh,” he said.