SHIMLA : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday announced the state's budget for the financial year 2022-23. In that he declared that the state had decided to reduce the age limit for pensioners to 60 years and increase the monthly old-age pension amount to ₹1,500.
The earlier monthly pension amount was ₹1,001. The age limit for pension was 70 years earlier.
Thakur, who also hold the state's finance portfolio, presented his fifth and last budget of the current government. He also announced to increase the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development Scheme (MLALAD) fund from the existing ₹1.80 crore to ₹2 crore.
The MLALAD fund has been increased by ₹20 lakh in the Budget, which is the last one before the next Assembly elections scheduled to be held in December.
Thakur stated that a total of ₹90 lakh increase had been made in the MLALAD fund during his government.
The chief minister also announced to increase the discretionary grant for MLAs from ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh per annum for the next fiscal.
On the health sector, the chief minister declared to create 500 new posts for doctors in the state.
Thakur announced that a provision would be made whereby the Himcare Card for availing free health services for various ailments will be required to be renewed after three years instead of every year.
Honorarium for Mayor, Deputy Mayor and councillors in municipal corporations has been increased from ₹12,000 to ₹15,000, from ₹8,500 to ₹10,000 and from ₹5,050 to ₹6,050 per month, respectively, he added.
He announced that that Sardar Patel University in the Mandi district would start functioning in April 2022.
Thakur also announced to construct 1000 new Anganwadi Bhawans in the state.
A total of 789 plans from NABARD worth ₹3,200 crore was approved during the five-year tenure of the previous Congress government, whereas that during the current government stood at ₹3,452 crore for 826 plans, he added.
