MPs' budget provides unique segment for children, says Guv; congratulates PM for leadership in pandemic

Madhya Pradesh's governor, Mangubhai C Patel, said Monday that the state's annual budget will also have a segment for children, which will be a first in the country.

Making his customary address at the start of the budget session of the state Assembly, he also praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the way the coronavirus pandemic was reined in.

"The upcoming MP budget will also have a children's budget, which will be a first for the country," he told the House.

He said the gross state domestic product was expected to cross Rs 10 lakh crore this year, which would add a new chapter to the economy of MP.

A vast network of roads, with the best quality in the country, had been laid in MP under the Prime Minister Rural Roads scheme, while, as part of the vision of the prime minister to promote zero budget natural farming, a target area of 99,000 hectares has been planned for the year, he said.

He said 2.55 lakh heads of cattle were being taken care of in government and private shelters, while a target has been set for the next fiscal to provide shelter to 2.90 lakh bovines in 1,945 facilities.

Praising the prime minister, Patel said the country managed to fight three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the former's leadership had turned a calamity into an opportunity for nation building.

The PM's farsightedness to provide free vaccination against COVID-19 helped protect the lives of citizens and ensured the third wave petered out without causing damage, he said.

The governor said the MP government will with firm determination work towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's target of making the economy of the country worth USD five trillion by 2024.