The crucial budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the last before the state elections due in November, began today with the Governor’s address. The budget tops the political agenda of the Digvijay Singh Government as it will be a crucial indicator of it’s return to power.And the Governor’s address today well indicated that the aim will be to hasten existing government programmes in the social sector with special emphasis on the Dalit agenda. The governor’s speech today once again focused on the Rs 200-cr package announced by Digvijay Singh on the first anniversary of the Bhopal declaration. It was stated that if in the course of the redistribution of village common land some Dalits and tribals remain landless they will be given up to Rs 75,000 to purchase a hectare of land.The CM also announced that the government will provide upto 25 units free power to all families living below the poverty line from April 1. The other major announcement reiterated was the administration’s order to allot 30 per cent of all government purchases from SC/ST sources.The address also stated that the government would extend Panchayati Raj to ensure that there is a panchayat in every village. In addition, the thrust will be on health and educational programmes. The address also once again stressed that under no situation would communal disturbances be tolerated in the state, a message the Digvijay government has been active in sending out to the BJP.The BJP MLAs however, appeared sporting black badges in protest against what they termed were the large-scale irregularities in the voter list. The process of finalising the voters’ list has been frozen in the state by the Election Commission after a meeting with leaders of the BJP state unit in Delhi earlier this month.
