• Source:PTI
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Himachal Pradesh Budget 2024: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who also holds the finance portfolio, on Saturday presented the annual Budget of Rs 58,444 crore for 2024-25 with focus on the agriculture sector. In his Budget speech, the chief minister announced an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk. With this, Himachal is the first state to give MSP on milk, CM Sukhu said.

Himachal Budget 2024: Key Takeaways From CM Sukhu's Announcements

- Presenting his second state Budget, Sukhu hiked the MSP of cow milk from Rs 38 to Rs 45 per litre and buffalo milk from Rs 47 to Rs 55 per litre.

- He announced that all milk cooperative societies would be waived off and that Rs 150 crore would be spent to improve the infrastructure for the acquisition and processing of milk.

- The chief minister also announced a 4 per cent Dearness Allowance, which will start on April 1, 2024. It will put a financial burden of Rs 580 crore on the state exchequer.

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- For every Rs 100, Sukhu said, Rs 28 will be used for development works, Rs 25 on salaries, Rs 17 on pensions, Rs 11 on interest payment, Rs 9 on loan repayment and Rs 10 on grants to autonomous institutions.

- The Chief Minister unveiled the Rajiv Gandhi Prakriyat Kheti Yojna, which will train 36,000 farmers, 10 from each panchayat, in natural farming methods.

- He also added that universal cartons will be introduced for apple packaging and horticulture tourism will be encouraged. He also mentioned the intention of the state administration to turn Himachal Pradesh into a green state by 2026.

- The state government has announced a special package of Rs 4,500 crore for disaster-affected people after last year's monsoon, he said.

- According to Sukhu, the state government will implement new policies to support athletes, startups, and make Himachal a popular place for filmmakers and put a tab on illegal mining activities.

- Other announcements included the setting up of the first modernised de-addiction and rehabilitation centre at Kandaghat in Solan district, the appointment of 6,000 nursery teachers, and monthly review meetings of schools.

- He also said 327 old diesel buses will be replaced with electric buses and vehicle scrap centres will be established in the state.

- The chief minister also declared that the MGNREGA workers' daily earnings would rise from Rs 240 to Rs 300, an increase of Rs 60.