MP Budget session begins, Shivraj govt to table digital annual budget on March 1

Bhopal : The Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly began on Monday with Governor Mangubhai Patel addressing the session, during which he praised the BJP-led state government’s relentless efforts to make the state self-reliant.

The Governor said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set off on a mission to make India “prosperous, self-reliant and developed” and Madhya Pradesh was moving ahead towards fulfilling this resolve step-by-step with the Union government.

“My government is committed to make Madhya Pradesh self-reliant. The Global Investors Summit (GIS)-2023 (held in Indore last month) was a milestone. Investment proposals to the tune of Rs 15.42 lakh crore came in, which speaks volumes of the investors’ unwavering faith in the state government’s industrial policy and work culture,” Patel added.

While addressing the opening session of the Assembly, the Governor highlighted various steps of the Centre and state government, including PESA Act, renaming of Bhopal’s railway station after Rani Kamlapati, among other measures.

As the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled at the end of the year, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government will be tabling a paperless Budget on March 1. It would the the first time that the Madhya Pradesh government would be tabling its annual budget digitally.

However, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader, Govind Singh told reporters that he would oppose the paperless budget presentation. He said that many MLAs are not familiar with digital systems, therefore, he would request the House to provide papers of the budget.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the month-long Budget session, former Minister and Congress MLA from Indore, Jitu Patwari along with his party colleague Kunal Choudhary reached the Assembly complex with a plough to show support to the state’s distressed farmers.

After the Governor’s address, Speaker Girish Gautam adjourned the House till Tuesday.