Raipur. Chhattisgarh Appropriation Bill was passed in the House today. Finance Minister OP Choudhary, in response to the discussion on the Appropriation Bill, said that due to good governance, we are able to take forward the schemes for poor welfare. An additional burden of thirty thousand crores has increased on the government due to paddy procurement, Mahtari Vandan Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, amount given to landless agricultural laborers. Even after this, our government is fulfilling all the targets on the basis of good governance. We have to spend an additional 12 thousand crore rupees in this GATI budget to fill the holes of the previous government.
OP Choudhary said, on 3 April 2021, 22 soldiers were martyred on the border of Sukma and Bijapur, that day the news of martyrdom of soldiers in Maoist attack was running on TV and Bhupesh Baghel was laughing and doing a road show in Guwahati, Assam. Today Naxalism is being hit hard. Today itself the bodies of 22 Maoists have been found. This number can reach 30. Amidst such political allegations and counter-allegations, I want to say that this has a negative impact on our struggle against Maoists. These are the same people who used to ask for proof of surgical strike.
Congress is anti-tribal: OP Choudhary
Chaudhary said, today the state has got a tribal son as the Chief Minister, which former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel cannot tolerate. In the history of 56 years after independence, Congress has not appointed any tribal to the highest post in the country. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets a chance, he first makes a Dalit and then a tribal woman the President. The Queen of Italy has insulted the President by calling her a poor lady. This clearly shows how Congress insults tribal women. Their leader calls the tribal President sitting on the highest post in the country a poor lady.
‘We will make Chhattisgarh a developed state’
The Finance Minister said, today under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the country is moving towards becoming a developed nation, Chhattisgarh is also moving in the same direction. After their independence, people of South Korea came to India to see development. Their population density is more than that of India. At the time of independence, the situation was worse than India. Their leadership was strong. There was a president named Park, who worked with vision. Since 1945, the economy of South Korea has grown one lakh times. There are examples like South Korea in the country and the world. 20-30 years from now, when India will be declared a developed nation, then the steps taken by Narendra Modi during the Corona period will be remembered.
‘In 1970, Congress gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao but poverty was not eradicated’
OP Chaudhary said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country’s economy has taken a leap from 2014-2024. In 2004, India was at number ten. Today India’s economy has come to number five. The Prime Minister has announced that in the third term this economy will come to number three. We are moving forward by making a vision document. We cannot develop until the target is not set. When it is decided under the leadership of Amit Shah that Naxalism has to be eradicated from the country, the BJP government also sets the date. In 1970, Congress gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao. Poverty was not eradicated. The people of the country have been continuously giving the answer to the Gujarat model. The country has shown trust in Narendra Modi three times. Even after 27 years of government in Gujarat, when elections are held, the people choose BJP. Congress has got only 17 seats.
Housing scheme is a big example of Congress being anti-poor: OP Choudhary
Chaudhary said, Narendra Modi has been elected by the people for 24 consecutive years. A big example of Congress being anti-poor is the housing scheme, which was snatched away by the Congress while it was in power for five consecutive years. From 2002 to 2015, a total of 5 lakh 39 thousand Indira Awas were built. Today, in two to three years, we are going to build 18 lakh houses. Those who snatched housing from the poor should have the courage to listen to the truth today. In the list of Economic Survey of 2011, 6 lakh 99 thousand houses were approved. Among the incomplete houses, there were 2 lakh 46 houses. In the scheme started in the name of Chief Minister’s Housing, only one installment of 47 thousand 90 houses was given. If we add all these, there are more than 18 lakh houses. When we were in the opposition, we had resolved to build 18 lakh houses. As soon as the government was formed, the first decision to build houses was taken in the first cabinet meeting.
‘Congress promised to give 502 to women but did not give a single rupee’
Finance Minister Chaudhary further said, in just one year, we have transferred the difference amount of Rs 13 thousand crore in the accounts of farmers for paddy purchase. This year, we have sent the difference amount of paddy purchase to the farmers. In the tenure of one and a quarter years, we have transferred one lakh crore rupees to the accounts of farmers. When the Mahtari Vandan Yojana is discussed, the opposition people talk about many things. In the 2018 Jan Manifesto, there was a promise of giving five hundred rupees to women, but in the five years of government, Congress did not give even five rupees. Under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, we are sending money to the accounts of 70 lakh mothers. Those who did not give even five rupees to the mothers do not even have the moral right to raise questions.
‘Chhattisgarh is included in the best three performing states in the entire country’
Choudhary said, today the demand for Indian youth is increasing all over the world. The German Chancellor has said in a meeting with the Prime Minister that Germany needs one lakh Indians. Provisions have been made in this budget to provide better opportunities to the youth of Chhattisgarh. A provision of Rs 100 crore has been made in the budget for skill development of youth. Our government is going to recruit more people in government jobs than the previous government. If the dreams of the poor, the poor and the farmers are to be realised, then an economic policy is needed. We have focused this budget on the concept of speed. If there is rapid economic development and better governance, then revenue will automatically increase. In terms of GST growth, Chhattisgarh is among the best three performing states in the country.
‘The previous government cheated the youth in the name of unemployment allowance’
The Finance Minister said, due to good governance, we are able to take forward the schemes for the welfare of the poor. Due to paddy procurement, Mahtari Vandan Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, amount given to landless agricultural labourers, an additional burden of thirty thousand crores has increased on the government. Even after this, our government is fulfilling all the targets on the basis of good governance. We have to spend 12 thousand crore rupees extra in this budget to fill the holes of the previous government. The previous government cheated the youth in the name of unemployment allowance. It was said in the Jan Ghoshna Patra that 2500 rupees will be given to ten lakh youth. There is a budgetary provision of 12 thousand crores in five years, but in five years, only 250 crore rupees were provided in the name of unemployment allowance.
‘Congress government misled the House on paddy procurement’
Chaudhary said, the former Chief Minister has misled the House on paddy procurement. The quota of rice of the central pool was 28 lakh metric tonnes in 2018-19. It was increased to 61 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-2023. The previous government was able to procure paddy only because of the central government. Through the budget, we are bringing ten new schemes, 20 new institutions and 30 major reform programs. We are starting the Chief Minister Bus Scheme to run buses in the interior areas. Provisions like linking rivers, State Capital Scheme, survey for metro have also been made in this budget. Digital settlement of files has been started. The calculation of debt is done in the ratio of GSDP. It should be below 25 percent. We are at 19 percent. The Chief Minister of Telangana has said in an interview that he does not even have money to pay salaries.
OP Choudhary said, I want to ask the Leader of Opposition that Congress demands a CBI inquiry in the House and talks about protests against central agencies including CBI in the party office. This double politics will not work. The Leader of Opposition should answer this. He said, the important suggestions that have come from the members will be placed before the Chief Minister. We will include them in the upcoming supplementary.
B.Ed holders removed from jobs, pay attention to them too: Leader of Opposition
While discussing the Appropriation Bill, Leader of Opposition Dr Charandas Mahant said that the Finance Minister used to be the collector in Janjgir. I came to know that he is from Kharsia of Raigarh, so I was very happy that a Ganwaiyan has come. At that time you used to send new children to become soldiers, but today there are many children who are protesting for their demands, pay attention to them too. Pay attention to the B.Ed students who were removed from their jobs. I think that the Finance Minister was talking away from the reality of the Finance Department. We are not able to estimate how much time the amount approved in the budget will take to reach the ground.
Mahant said, a provision of four hundred crores has been made in Swachh Bharat Mission. Last year a provision of two hundred crores was made. Not even a single rupee was spent till December. What does this mean? The 147 crore rupees that is being spent is the remaining amount of 2023-24. A provision of 150 crores was made for Nalanda campus. The previous money has not been spent. A provision of 17 crores was made for setting up a food park, only 45 percent has been spent. A provision was made in the budget for the construction of a cooperative warehouse. Not even a single rupee has been spent. Rs 146 crore is the centrally transferred amount in Women and Child Development, which has not been spent.
‘Production was 100 lakh metric tons, how was 149 lakh metric tons of paddy purchased?’
The Leader of Opposition said, 14 months of the government have passed. Give some examples. They just keep saying what they did in five years. Has the vision document of 2047 been placed on the table of the Vidhan Sabha? Very few people sitting here will survive till 2047. We all should know about this. The forests of Chhattisgarh are our wealth. It will be a big thing to protect it. When the production of paddy has been 100 lakh metric tons, then how did the purchase reach 149 lakh metric tons? We can doubt where the rest of the paddy is from? The names of registered workers have been removed from MNREGA. They are snatching away the employment of the poor. In the Economic Survey, the share of the agriculture sector was 17.9, which has come down to 16 percent this year. The share in the service sector was 10.43, which has now come down to 8.5. The share in the industry was 10.1 percent, which has come down to 9 percent.
‘On whose orders is there a conspiracy to close the sugar factories’
Charandas Mahant said, on one hand you are the supporter of farmers and on the other hand you have stopped the loan waiver scheme for farmers. The loan distribution to farmers has been reduced. This year there is an 18 percent increase in capital expenditure. This is a good thing, but why was the amount that was kept last year not spent. The soldiers are fighting a big battle against the Naxalites. This is a good thing, but last year 64 civilians were also killed. There is a conspiracy to close the sugar factories in the state. On whose orders are the people who are hatching this conspiracy doing this? The intention of the government is not clear in this. Its pace is being accelerated towards Gujarat so that the businessmen from there come and take over the mills here. If this is so, then it is wrong.
Mahant said, the previous government has taken a loan of 70 thousand crores. Even if we deduct it from the amount of GST, it comes to 43 thousand crores. What will be the result of taking such a huge amount in loan. The Finance Minister should understand this. Our government keeps mentioning liquor again and again. Now dry drugs have increased. No matter how much the police beat the drug addict, he does not get to know. After this addiction, the addict kills others by stabbing them. Son is killing father. Girls are being robbed on the road. Connect Tantra with AI. If there is any Tantrik, use him. He said, the trees of Hasdeo forest have been cut. Coal has also started coming out. Water has reduced in Mini Mata Bango. The collector has banned taking water for Rabi crops. There has been a threat of taking action on taking water.
CBI should investigate Bharatmala road project: Charandas Mahant
Charandas Mahant said, I still demand a CBI inquiry on the Bharatmala road project. The government should get a CBI inquiry done. I will write a letter to the Prime Minister on this subject. I will also go to court. I have faith in the CBI. You should also announce an inquiry in the House. He said, a loan of 43 thousand crores was taken in 5 years during the Congress government. A loan of 41 thousand crores was taken during the tenure of the Raman government. The total loan was 84 crores. A loan of 34 thousand crores was taken in one year during the Vishnudev Sai government.
