Punjab Budget 2022-23: AAP govt focuses on education, allocates Rs 200 crore for Punjabi University

Mohali, June 27: Aam Aadmi Party's maiden Budget in Punjab focuses on the education sector. Presenting Punjab Budget for 2022-23, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced Rs 200 crore for Punjabi University, Patiala on Monday.

Where the CM Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government allocated Rs 200 crore for the state's prestigious Punjabi University, FM Cheema also announced Rs 30 crore for government colleges in nine districts. The Punjab Budget for FY 2022-23 allocates Rs 30 crore for providing infrastructure facilities in libraries of government colleges in 9 districts - Tarn Taran, Barnala, Ludhiana, Fazilka, Malerkotla, Moga, Pathankot, Muktsar Sahib and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

In addition, the AAP government will provide CM scholarships to students in the general category in order to give concession in University fees.

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"In order to encourage the students of poor families, especially of general category studying in government colleges, the AAP government has decided to provide scholarship as a concession in the fee, based on the marks obtained by the student. I propose an allocation of Rs 30 crore for this purpose," FM Cheema said on Monday.

Besides this, as many as 100 existing schools will be upgraded as Schools of Eminence. 

These schools would be composite schools from Pre-Primary to 12th grade, with exceptional infrastructures such as digital classrooms, fully-equipped labs, vocational training facilities, and well-trained faculty.

The Government further proposes Rs 1,033 crore for medical education and also announced a new medical college in the state.

The AAP government proposed Rs 1,033 crore for medical education, a 56.6 percent increase over FY 2021-22. (RE). The emphasis will be on

upgrading existing State Government Medical Colleges and increasing MBBS seats at these colleges so that students do not have to move to countries such as Ukraine. 

“I am happy to announce that a new medical college, ie, Sant Baba Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, Sangrur district, with 100 MBBS seats is being established. An initial allocation of Rs 50 crore has been provided in FY 2022-23 for Sant Baba Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences," Harpal Cheema said. Notably, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema presented his maiden budget for the year 2022-23 on Monday. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Sahney were also present at the Budget presentation.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann promised, “a paperless budget to make the exercise economical”. FM Harpal Cheema has proposed a total Budget Expenditure of Rs 1,55,860 crore. It reflects 14.20% growth compared to FY 2021-22. Revenue and Fiscal Deficit pegged at 1.99% and 3.78%, respectively.

Also Read | Promise of free electricity will be fulfilled from July 1: FM Harpal Cheema

-PTC News