Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): For the first time, state budget for 2025-26 is being prepared on the concept of Zero Budget Base. The Zero-based budgeting approach mandates a fresh evaluation of all expenses during each budgeting cycle. Thus every department seeking funds will have to justify every expense in a new budget period.
The departments are being asked to explain why they need a certain amount. Besides, the government is going to make provision for operation of public transport buses in the Budget. Notably, the state government had decided sometime back to restart the public transportation service in the state. As of now, only private buses are operational in the state.
The public transport policy is almost ready and likely to be tabled in the upcoming cabinet meeting. Decades back, the government used to run the MP State Transport Corporation but due to financial losses, it was closed down in 2005 and since then, private bus operators have filled the vacuum. Sources in the finance department told Free Press that the upcoming budget is being prepared in a way that ensures the public does not feel any financial burden. In other words, no new taxes will be levied in the budget to provide relief to the people.
It is also learnt that many schemes which are of similar nature will be merged together to form a single head. The Budget is being prepared keeping in mind the promise of CM Mohan Yadav that the state’s economy will be doubled in five years. Along with this, the Budget will take care of BJP’s Sankalp Patra as well as the vision of the Modi government to make the country a developed nation by 2047. An officer of the finance department told that even the recently presented Union Budget is being studied to include some of the good practices into the state budget.
