Summary:
PATNA: The state budget for 2019-20 presented by deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday made the highest allotment of its 20.31% to the education department, followed by rural development (15.81%), rural works under which rural roads are constructed (9.90%) and social welfare department (7%).SuMo said the education department has been allotted Rs20,309.03 crore. He said the allotments made for the various other departments cover the scheme-related activities already underway. He said Rs292.66 crore had been allotted for the purchase of cycles for 4.59 lakh boys and 5.15 lakh girl students.Calling the Student Credit Card scheme a “very unique one in the country”, Modi said Rs833.40 crore has been provided for it during 2019-20 fiscal. Till February 1 this year, Rs959.91 crore had been provided for the scheme.Among the six other departments whose allotments are around 5% of the Budget or less than that include road construction (5.94%), health (5.15%), energy (4.58%), public health and engineering department (3.23%), panchayati raj (3.11%) and urban development department (3.07%), while the combined allotment for the remaining departments is 21.90%.Referring to the allotment of Rs5,149.45 crore for the health department, Modi said this sum includes Rs335 crore provided to cover the people under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Besides, works on the construction of 11 medical colleges would begin at Chhapra, Purnia, Samastipur, Begusarai, Sitamarhi, Vaishali, Jhanjharpur, Siwan, Buxar, Bhojpur and Jamui during 2019-20.He also said the process started for the appointment of 9,305 Grade A staff nurses, 6,500 auxiliary nursing maids, 2,325 specialized doctors, 964 assistant professors, 892 assistant professors in medical colleges and 560 dental medical practitioners has to be completed during 2019-20.The PHED would spend Rs3,684 crore for providing fluoride, arsenic and iron-free safe drinking water in the villages concerned during 2019-20 fiscal under the ‘Har ghar nal-jal’ scheme..