Chhattisgarh Budget one of deception, says BJP; CM says it fulfils Cong promises, will bring prosperity

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday termed the Chhattisgarh budget for 2023-24 as one of deception, while ruling Congress leaders said it would herald prosperity in the state.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who also holds the finance portfolio, tabled a budget of Rs 1,21,500 crore for the fiscal 2023-24 in the state Assembly earlier in the day.

Former chief minister and BJP national vice president Raman Singh said it was a ''budget of deception''' and accused Baghel of failing the people of the state.

''The Baghel government has failed to fulfil promises of liquor ban, regularization of contractual employees of the government, setting up of 200 food parks, journalist protection law, among others. None of the promises made to the people have found a place in the budget,'' Singh said.

Talking to PTI after tabling the budget, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said despite facing adverse situations like the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges from the Centre, his government has been fulfilling promises made in the Congress manifesto for the 2018 Assembly polls.

''We fulfilled promises we had made in Jan-Ghoshna patra (manifesto) one by one, despite facing adverse situations like coronavirus on one hand and obstructions from the Central government on the other. We promised to give Rs 2500 (for per quintal of paddy) to farmers, and we have fulfilled it. Now it has even gone up to Rs 2660,'' Baghel said.

''We had promised to give unemployment allowance to youth. Today, we provisioned Rs 2500 per month as allowance to the unemployed. We hiked the honorariums of anganwadi workers, Mitanin, Kotwar, home guard personnel. Statistics show that (BJP) allegations of financial mismanagement against my government are false and fabricated,'' he asserted.

Baghel said the Raman Singh government had borrowed from the market continuously since 2011, but the current government was yet to take a loan this year.

State Congress chief Mohan Markam said the budget aims at strengthening the state's economy and bringing prosperity to common citizens.