The house passes the State budget 2025-26 of Rs 1,01,175.33 crore
PNS | DEHRADUN
The budget session of the Vidhan Sabha was adjourned sine die by the speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan after the passage of the State budget- 2025-26 on Saturday. The house passed the budget of Rs 1,01,175.33 crore by a voice vote. The department wise budget was also passed by the members on the request of the Finance minister Prem Chand Agarwal. In the budgetary expenditure Rs 59,954.65 crore is under revenue account while Rs 41,220.68 crore is under capital accounts.
In other business of the day, the Congress MLAs raised the issue of shortage of teachers and lack of necessary infrastructure and facilities in the government schools of the State in the house. Initiating the discussion under rule 58, the leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha Yashpal Arya said that the entire education system in the State has collapsed. He said that many primary schools of the State have been closed, adding that 1,108 out of 1,385 posts of junior school headmasters are vacant. Similarly, 801 out of 910 posts of high school principals are vacant. He said that thousands of posts of primary teachers, LT and lectures are vacant in the schools of the State. The LoP also alleged irregularities in the process of recruitment in the Education department. He said that many schools lack basic facilities such as furniture, toilets and drinking water.
Chakrata MLA, Pritam Singh said that due to lack of education and health facilities the people in the mountainous areas of the state are migrating.
In his response, the Education minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that the State has 11,233 primary schools, 2,482 upper primary schools, 910 high schools and 1,385 inter colleges. He said that the State government has appointed guest teachers to vacant posts of teachers and the process of recruitment in the department is underway. He assured the house that no school in the State will be closed. The minister said that the State government is providing free textbooks, mid-day meals, uniforms and notebooks to the students. He said that in the last three years 6,250 teachers were appointed in the government schools of the State.
Congress MLA Manoj Tiwari raised the issue of man- animal conflict and stray animals under rule 58. The deputy leader of Congress legislature party Bhuwan Kapdi said that the Forest department has not paid compensation to many victims of man-animal conflict. He said that many people lose their lives due to accidents involving stray cattle. Badrinath MLA Lakhpat Butola said that wild boars and monkeys are destroying crops of farmers in the mountainous areas of the State.
The Forest minister Subodh Uniyal said that the State government has increased the compensation in the cases of attack by the wild animals and measures such as fencing and solar lights are being taken to reduce the incidences of man-animal conflict. The Animal Husbandry minister Saurabh Bahuguna said that cow shelters are being opened in all parts of the State to reduce the problem of stray cattle.
