Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal presented his Third budget for the state today

Punjab Finance minister, Manpreet Singh Badal today presented the budget for the state, for the financial year 2019-20. He presented the budget speech amongst heavy protests from Shiromani Akali Dal, with Bikramjit Singh Majithia at the forefront. The minister continued his speech, but the speaker had to stop him midway, dismiss the Akalis from the House and adjourn the house for some time. After the House re-convened, the Finance Minister started his speech again, and presented the budget.

• Total receipts expected: Rs 1,54,170 crore
• Total budget size for 2019-20: Rs 1,58,493 crore
• Agriculture gets Rs 13,643 crore. Allocation has been increased by Rs 159 crore.
• Oustanding Debt likely to be Rs 2.29 lakh crore by March 31,2020. Whereas debt servicing for 2019-20 is a whopping Rs 30,309 crore.
• Total outstanding debt on March 31,2018: Rs 2.12 lakh crore. It is 40 percent of GSDP.
• Rs 3,000 crore for debt relief to farmers, landless farmers and families of farmers who committed suicides
• Rs 355 crore to provide support to sugarcane farmers.
• Rs 200 crore for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna.
• 1/4th cultivated area across Punjab to be brought under diversified farming
• Horticulture industry gets a shot in the arm with Rs 60.49 Crore
• Budget allocates Rs 8,969 for free power to agriculture sector.
• Rs 375 crore for crop residue management. Rs 20 crore allocated for dairy development.
• Finance Minster claims till date more than 1.13 lakh youth provided jobs
• Rs 1,513 crore allocated for subsidised power to industries.
• Rs 300 crore allocated for celebration of 550th Prakash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev
• Rs 5 crore for centenary commemoration of Jalianwala Bagh massacre
• Amritsar to be developed into an 'Iconic City' Rs 10 cr set aside for the project in the budget IT IS for international consultants and architects to be consulted to develop Amritsar
• Rs 938.71 crore allocated for various scholarship schemes for SC/BC.
• Rs 3,465.06 crore allocated for health care services, which is an increase of 10.87 percent over 2018-19.
• 15 new ITIs proposed at Rampuraphul, Raikot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Bassi Pathana, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Shuttrana, Amargarh, Tarn Taran with an allocation of Rs 15 crore.
• Rs 5 crore allocated for establishment of Open University at Patiala, CM Amarinder Singh's home city.
• Rs 189.15 crore for upgradation of medical colleges in Patiala and Amritsar.
• ‘Make In Punjab’ scheme to be started for developing Punjabi Industry
• Rs 5 Cr allocated for Jallianwala Bagh Massacare centenary programs
• Food Streets to be developed in Patiala, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur
• Petrol to cost Rs 5 less and diesel Re 1 less per litre from midnight in Punjab. Decision taken to match rates with adjoining states, says FM Manpreet Badal
• Provision of Rs 80 crore for relining of Rajasthan feeder and Rs 120 crore for Sirhind Feeder Canal.
• Rs 22,842 crore kept for capital expenditure
• Revenue Deficit for 2019-20 expected at Rs 11,687 crore
• Fiscal Deficit at Rs 19,658 crore
• GSDP at current prices - Rs 5,77,829 crore
• Rs 26,979 crore to go into disbursement of salary and wages to employees
• Rs 19.47 crore allocated for compensation of RS 10,000 per acre to the farmers of 6 districts whose land is situated between border fence and international border.
• These districts are Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot.
• Rs 86.33 crore for Swachh Bharat Mission
• Under Smart Cities, Rs 296 crore for development of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar
• Rs 100 crore for development of 7 border districts and Kandi area
• Rs 978.12 crore for National Health Mission.
• Under Smart Cities, Rs 296 crore for development of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar
• Rs 700 crore allocated under AMRUT scheme
• Rs 60 crore allocated for work on Tertiary Care Cancer Centres at Hoshiarpur, Fazilka, Amritsar
• Rs 250 crore for Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana for providing Rs 5 lakh per family annual health care to 70 percent population of Punjab.
• Integrated hospitals to be built in Mohali and Moga, Rs 60 Cr for Mohali Medical College
• 3 new medical colleges to be established in Punjab in PPP segment
• Amritsar War Memorial assigned Rs 8Cr for completion
• Saink School Kapurthala given Rs 5Cr
• Rs 15 Lakh to be given for Sainik School Band Kapurthala
• Rs 1 Lakh scholarship for all IMA and NDA entrants from Punjab
• Three new chairs to be established in GNDU, Amritsar
• Rs 50 Cr grant to Punjabi University Patiala
• 15 new ITIs to be established in Punjab, Rupnagar ITI to be upgraded
• Rs 7 Cr allotted for upgrading Polytechnics
• Government residences of Group C & D to get repairs

All in all, this budget has been focused at providing a shot in the arm to the marginalized, revamping the existing infrastructure, helping the landless farmers, providing benefits for the below poverty section. The much ignored education sector has received attention in this budget. The health sector has got relief too, with many hospitals and colleges being planned out, and the existing ones receiving aid.