Rs 17.072 crores have been proposed by the Punjab Govt for School & Higher Education

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government-led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presented its budget for the year 2023-24 today (Friday, March 10). The government has proposed Rs 17.072 crore for school and higher education, which is 12 percent more than last year. Presenting the budget, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that this time his government has fulfilled many of its promises and guarantees. The Finance Minister said that the Aam Aadmi Party government has given maximum attention to the education and health sectors.

Harpal Cheema said that the process of regularization of the contractual employees belonging to the teaching and non-teaching cadre will be completed soon. The Finance Minister further said that the Punjab government has prepared a policy for the maintenance of schools and to create the posts of 'Estate Managers' for all government senior secondary schools, and proposed a budget of Rs 99 crore for cleanliness and maintenance of schools. Apart from this, Rs 20 crore has been proposed to send principals to Singapore for training to provide better education to children.

The Finance Minister said that 117 schools have been identified for upgrading as Schools of Eminence. Under this, an initial budget of Rs 200 crore has been proposed. Under the scholarship scheme Rs 18 crore and Rs 60 crore have been proposed for students. He said that Punjab's Youth Entrepreneur Program was started with an aim of developing financial and leadership skills among students. Under this startup programme, the government helps 11th students to propose their business ideas by providing seed money at the rate of Rs 2,000 per student, for which Rs 30 crore has been proposed.

Along with this, Rs 100 crore for installation of roof top solar panel system in government schools and Rs 456 crore for providing mid-day meals to government schools, Rs 1,425 crore under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. Rs 25 crores is proposed for providing uniforms to pre-primary class students, while Rs 90 crores have been proposed for free books, repair and maintenance.

Medical Education and Research....

- Rs 1,015 crore proposed for medical education.
- B. R. Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences and Government Medical College have been established in Mohali. Two batches of 100 M.B.B.S students have got admission in these institutions.
- 880 staff nurses and 81 paramedical staff have been recruited to meet the shortage of staff in medical institutions.
- State Cancer Institute for cancer patients at Government Medical College, Amritsar at a cost of Rs 119 crore and Cancer Care Center at Fazilka at a cost of Rs 46 crore are expected to start soon.
- Proposal to establish a new Nursing College at District Barnala.