Sensing a deep agrarian crisis brewing in the countryside, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday tried to paint his annual budget as pro-farmer and pro-poor even as he patted himself for coming up with solid fiscal discipline despite the slowdown post demonetisation.

In the last election year budget in 2013, too, Raman Singh had made huge provisions for bonus on paddy procurement paving the way for his party to reap electoral dividends. Presenting his 12th consecutive budget as Finance Minister, the Chief Minister said the budget focuses on all sections of society and it will bring new enthusiasm to the people. It focuses on welfare of farmers, development of agricultural sector, prosperity of labourers and poor, women’s empowerment, welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, rural development and infrastructure, he said.

Presenting a whopping Rs 87,417 crore annual budget, Singh said that budgetary provisions to the tune of Rs 13,480 crore have been made to the agriculture sector alone which is 29% higher than the budgetary provisions in current fiscal. The CM’s feud with his agriculture minister Brijmohan Agrawal aggravated the already distressed agriculture sector.

As per advanced estimates during 2017-18, the GSDP of Chhattisgarh is likely to grow by 6.65% on constant prices whereas all India GDP is likely to grow by 6.5% on constant prices in the same duration, Raman Singh said in his budget speech. During 2017-18, sector wise GSDP of Chhattisgarh is likely to grow by 2.89% in agriculture, 5.84% in industry and 9.46% in services sector by 9.46% on constant prices, the CM said.

Budgetary provisions for paddy procurement, setting up of six new agriculture colleges at Jashpur, Korba, Chhui khadan, Kurud, Gariaband and Mahasamund have been made. The budget also calls for a new scheme called “Chalo Gaon Ki Or” for the promotion of agricultural graduates to become entrepreneurs through agriculture university.

Singh announced increased budgetary provisions aimed at hiking honorariums for Zila and Janpad Panchayats, Anganwadi workers and Kotwars. However, the budget maintained silence on the long pending demand of around 1.75 lakh Shikshakarmis for merger of their services with the education department, which will accord them the status of a full-fledged teacher. The budget also talked of setting up 1428 new mobile towers besides routine allocation for the flagship Chief Minister’s food security scheme.