Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented a development-oriented budget on Wednesday, emphasising the GYAN mantra given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference at the assembly auditorium after presenting the budget, he said that the budget takes care of every sector—poor, youth, farmers and women—without shutting down any government schemes.

He said that necessary provisions have been made for infrastructure development, healthcare and road construction, ensuring that public money is spent wisely. The government is borrowing funds for capital works, but Devda assured that loans are taken within the permissible limit and are directed toward growth-oriented projects that will create employment opportunities. For the first time, the budget includes a QR code, allowing citizens to scan and track government spending transparently.

Reacting to concerns over increasing debt, Devda said that the state has never exceeded its borrowing limit and contrasted the BJP’s governance with the previous Congress regime, which, according to him, had a smaller budget but lacked development initiatives. He claimed that under Congress rule, the state treasury remained empty, while the BJP government is focused on increasing the budget size every year to accelerate growth.

He also accused the opposition of being jealous of the BJP’s large-scale development projects, stating that the government remains committed to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047.