State Current Affairs May 2017

Punjab Government Allowed 33% Reservation for Women in State Jobs

• In a major decision, the Punjab Cabinet has decided to provide 33% reservation for women in all the government jobs on March 18, 2017. Women will be given the reservation also in the contractual appointments of the State government.
• The Cabinet also decided to increase their representation in the Pancnayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from the present 33% to 50%.
• It decided to provide a house to every freedom fighter in the place he resides, besides allocating 300 units of free electricity every month.

Tamil Nadu Budget for 2017-18

• Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D. Jayakumar presented his maiden Budget on March 15, 2017. This is also the first budget of the AIADMK government headed by B. Palaniswami.
• The budget pegs growth at 9% from the current 7.49%. Allocation of Rs 48 crore for the development of Tamil language. Allocation of Rs 469 crore for poverty eradication in rural areas and Rs 272 crore for poverty eradication in urban areas.
• Sugarcane cultivation to be encouraged under the drip irrigation-scheme. Rs 1000 as food allowance for college-going hostel students; it is Rs 875 now. A new fishing harbour in Ramanathapuram district. Plus, Rs 4500 per month for fishermen during non-fishing season.
• Allocation of Rs 150 crore to impart vocational training of youth. A new milk production unit at Madurai exclusively for flavoured milk under the Aavin brand. Allocation of Rs 6400 crore for Police; around 3000 houses to be constructed for police personnel and Rs 253 crore allocation for fire service.
• Allocation of Rs 116 crore for Sri Lankan refugee welfare funds. AIADMK’s poll promise – 3.5 lakh poor families to be given free land ‘ pattas. Allocation of Rs 567 crore for environment and forestry. Allocation of Rs 625 crore for providing drinking water.
• Allocation of Rs 194 crore for handloom and khadi department. Allocation of Rs 22394 to welfare fund of government employees/ pensioners.

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Andhra Pradesh Budget for 2017-18

• Andhra Pradesh presented nearly Rs 1.57 lakh crore budget for 2017-18, the first after moving the state capital from Hyderabad to Amaravati on March 14, 2017.
• Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu proposed total expenditure at 1.57 lakh crore, an increase of 15.71% over the previous year.
• This comprised revenue expenditure of Rs 1.26 lakh crore and capital expenditure of Rs 31087 crore.
• The estimated revenue deficit is around Rs 416 crore and the fiscal deficit is estimated at around Rs 23054 crore, 0.05% and 3% of the GSDP respectively.
• The State allocated Rs 9091 crore constituting 5.79% of total budgetary allocation to agriculture and allied sectors, ‘ X 19565 crore to rural development which is 12.46% of total budgetary allocation, and Rs 12770 crore to irrigation sector comprising 8,13 of total budgetary allocation.
• The allocation for industries department has been hiked by 113% to 12086 crore. He proposed Rs 20384 crore for general education and Rs 765 crore for technical education. He allocated Rs 11361 crore for welfare.

Meghalaya Budget 2017-18

• Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukui Sangma tabled a Rs 1236 crore deficit budget for the financial year 2017-18, in which he increased the tax slabs for transportation to raise additional revenue on March 14, 2017.
• The Chief Minister also announced merger of the plan and non-plan expenditure to rationalise its budgetary allocations with a focus on development expenditure and synchronise the budgetary framework with that of the Union government.
• Estimating the total receipts at Rs 12510 . crore, he said the revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 11280* crore and capital receipts at Rs 1230 crore.
• The total receipts see a nominal increase from a X 10173 crore projected receipt for the year 2016-17.
• The total expenditure is estimated at Rs 12873 crore of which the revenue expenditure is estimated to be at Rs 10648 crore while Rs 2225 crore as capital expenditure.

New Government formed in FIVE STATES

• Election results for five States—Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were announced on March 11,2017. The Election Commission of India notified the election schedule on January 4,2017. Elections were conducted in One phase in Goa, Uttarakhand and Punjab; Twq Phases in Manipur and Seven Phases In Uttar Pradesh.
• Manohar Parrikar was swom-in as the 13th Chief Minister of Goa on March 14, 2017. This will be the 3rd time that Parrikar will serve Goa as the Chief Minister.
• Nongthombam Blren Singh was swom-in as the Chief Minister of Manipur at the Raj Bhawan in Imphal on March 15,2017. He will succeed outgoing Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
• Captain Amarinder Singh took oath as the 26th Chief Minister of Punjab on March 16, 2017 at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh thus paving way for the return of the Congress to power in the State after a gap of 10 years.
• BJP MP Adityanath Yogi took oath as the 32nd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on March I 19,2017 at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan in .Lucknow. However, in terms of individual Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath is the 21st Chief Minister. Besides, two Deputy I Chief Minister, nine MoS (independent charge), 24 Cabinet Ministers and 13 Ministers of State also took the oath.