Health, agriculture and infrastructure have been given top priority by the Haryana government in its over Rs 1.55 lakh crore Budget for the financial year 2021-22.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also holds the finance department portfolio, presented the Budget in the state Assembly on Friday.

Presenting the Budget estimates, which have no fresh tax proposals, Khattar proposed a Budget of Rs 1,55,645 crore for FY 2021- 22, an increase of 13 per cent over FY 2020-21 of Rs 1,37,738 crore.

The Budget outlay comprises 25 per cent as capital expenditure of Rs 38,718 crore and 75 per cent as revenue expenditure of Rs 1,16,927 crore. Reading out the Budget estimates in the House, Khattar said the Covid-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges and “taught us several lessons”.

“It is important for the Budget to prioritise specific sectors that are key to leverage a rebound in the economy, particularly in times of crisis. We have identified health, agriculture and infrastructure as key priority areas that we need to focus recovery and resurgence,” he said.

“While focusing on health is of paramount importance in these times of unprecedented public health crisis, agriculture which forms the foundation of our economy and which is the sheet anchor of our self-reliance is critical,” the CM said.

Khattar said his government needs to continue providing assistance to farmers for paving the way for Haryana’s economic growth. An outlay of Rs 6,110 crore has been proposed for 2021- 22 in this regard, of which Rs 2,998 crore is earmarked for agriculture and farmers welfare, Rs 489 crore for horticulture, Rs 1,225 crore for animal husbandry & dairying, Rs 125 crore for fisheries and Rs 1,274 crore for cooperation. The outlay of Rs 6,110 crore for 2021-22 indicates an increase of 20.9 per cent against the 2020-21 fiscal’s Rs 5,052 crore.

The CM said the Haryana government is committed to doubling the farmers’ income. “We are indebted to our farmers, whose toil and hard work has made Haryana the food bowl of the country. Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy. We are committed to doubling farmers’ income and ensuring his/her wellbeing,” he said.

He said this Budget endeavours to reinforce “our interventions and schemes for agriculture on increasing farmer’s income, crop diversification and water conservation”.

It is also important to support and nurture these interventions by providing critical infrastructure – be it expanding the health network, increasing the outreach of vaccination, setting up testing labs and so on, farm gate processing infrastructure, irrigation, especially microirrigation facilities, to promote crop diversification among other key things, Khattar added.