Announcing the Interim Budget for 2019, the Finance Minister Piyush Goyal set up a tone for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with a direct profit transfer plan for the troubled farmers and goodies for middle-class taxpayers.
Following the similar trend, the states have also released budgets that focus mainly on the agricultural problems, unemployment and women empowerment.
In fact, few states have imposed new tax modifications despite being in debt. Non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) states have given out more than saffron states in their budgets to win over voters.
Kerala
Following the traumatic floods in 2018, the state government made important allocations to its Rs 1.42 lakh crore budget for reconstruction. Pinarayi Vijayan’s government has issued Rs 2,500 crore for agriculture and Rs 7,500 crore for pension schemes. It also set aside Rs 250 crore for women and job-centric schemes.
Odisha
Out of its Rs 1.32 lakh crore budget, the Naveen Patnaik government has assigned Rs 4,461 crore for its cash transfer scheme for farmers named KALIA, along with interest subvention worth Rs 800 crore. Other moves that were deemed pro-people by many were the Rs 1,028 crore allocation for rice distribution at Re 1 per kg and Rs 2,100 crore for pension of 48 lakh people in the state.
Andhra Pradesh
CM Chandrababu Naidu amplified budgetary allocations this year and announced a Rs 2.26 lakh crore Budget. Naidu also spoke about the agriculture sufferings in the state and set aside Rs 5,000 crore for a grant to the farmers. He also assigned Rs 4,000 crore for a one-time grant to women members of self-help groups.
Chhattisgarh
Despite suffering from a deficit of Rs 10,881 crore, the new Congress government in the state has announced a loan waiver for farmers and issued Rs 21,597 crore for the agriculture sector in the state. It has also increased funds for employment schemes.
Uttar Pradesh
UP CM Yogi Adityanath has also increased the expenditure for agriculture by 14 percent in his election-oriented Budget of Rs 4.79 lakh crore. The state government has offered Rs 600 crore for cow shelters. For the education and hygiene purpose of girls, it declared the Kanya Sumangala Yojana worth Rs 1,200 crore. The Budget also allocated funds for aggressive infrastructure development of Rs 5,000 crore for highways, airstrips and airports at Ayodhya and Jewar, in Noida.
Himachal Pradesh
The state has set aside Rs 7,100 crore to improve the rural economy and relieve farmer distress. The government also wishes to assist farmers in flood control, mushroom cultivation and cow breeding. For irrigation purposes, the state cut power price to 50 paise per unit.
Jharkhand
Chief Minister Raghubar Das scrambled budget allocation for agriculture by 24 percent. Under the Mukhiyas Mantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana, farmers will receive Rs 5,000 per acre per year, along with a bonus of Rs 150 over the minimum support price (MSP).
Karnataka
HD Kumaraswamy’s government has devoted 25 percent of the state's budget for the agriculture sector and loan waivers. Other schemes that are being greeted by the public are Rs 6,000 monthly pension to pregnant women and milk for school-going children.
West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee climbed agriculture allocation by a gigantic 120% to Rs 6,086 crore. The Budget has also planned a complete release to tea gardens from education and rural employment. The government also considered into employment schemes, stressing on cash handout of Rs 1 lakh a year to 50,000 unemployed youth.
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