Uttarakhand Finance Minister Prem Chand Aggarwal presented the Rs 76,000 crore budget for the state on Wednesday. The Uttarakhand Economic Survey 2022-23, which was tabled earlier, highlighted that the Himalayan state’s income from Central Taxes stood at an estimated Rs 9,130.16 crore in the year 2022-23.
The budget focused on seven key points including skill development, new development initiatives, health infrastructure, and others. The state has also earmarked nearly Rs 25 crore for special provisions for soldiers.
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The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government announced that it would be allocated Rs 20 crore for the recently inaugurated martyr memorial in Dehradun, the Shaurya Sthal. The memorial is engraved with the name of 1,700 martyrs from the state and was inaugurated earlier in the year by Chief Minister Dhami and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Other provisions for soldiers and veterans include Rs 1.5 crore towards the Martyr's Fund, and Rs 1 crore towards the Canteen Stores Department Canteens in the state. Defence personnel can purchase an assorted collection of goods, items and services from CSD Canteens, which are usually offered at discounted rates to active and retired military personnel.
The state government also allocated Rs 2 crore towards Sainik Rest House, which offers accommodation to currently serving and veteran members of the country’s armed forces.
The government has also made travel for recipients of gallantry awardees free. The budget has also increased the daily dietary allowance of members of the National Cadet Corps, the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces. Now, each of the 39,000 NCC cadets in the country will be allocated Rs 45 a day for meals instead of Rs 15 that was allocated previously.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Mar 15, 2023 6:47 PM IST
