Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Congress MLA Bala Bachchan criticised the state government for failing to utilise allocated funds meant for SC/ST welfare, claiming that budgeted amounts were either not disbursed or grossly underutilised.
Speaking during the Budget discussion in the Assembly on Monday, he said that despite a Rs 100 crore allocation for development of students from special tribal communities, not a single rupee had been spent.
The state government presented a Rs 4.21 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2025-26, which was praised by ruling party MLAs, while the opposition highlighted its shortcomings.
Bachchan said that of the Rs 50 lakh allocated for students from classes 9 to 12, only Rs 1,000 had been utilised. He also criticised minimal allocations for key tribal heritage projects, pointing out that only Rs 1,000-2,000 had been set aside for institutions such as the Badal Bhoi Museum in Chhindwara, Raja Shankar Shah Raghunath Shah Museum in Jabalpur and Bhima Nayak Prerna Kendra.
Moreover, he said that while Rs 200 crore was allocated for the Women and Child Development Department’s nutrition scheme, only Rs 90 crore had been spent. All aspects of development covered: Bhargava In contrast, BJP MLA Gopal Bhargava hailed the budget as a "spiritual budget," claiming it covered all aspects of development, including religious projects like Biraj Dham and Ram Van Path Gaman. He expressed confidence that within the next two to three years, Madhya Pradesh would be among the most developed states.
Bhargava also recalled a past agreement between the Indian and U.S. governments to import ‘Red Wheat’ to meet food shortages, claiming that even cows refused to eat it. He contrasted this with the current agricultural boom, asserting that Madhya Pradesh is now a leading state in farm produce.
