DW BUREAU / Chandigarh The Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab on Monday presented its last budget with a total size of Rs 1,68,015 crore for 2021-2022, making bulk of its provisions for agriculture, urban development, water resources, health and other sectors. Dedicating the state budget to farmers who are agitating against the Centre's three farm laws, Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal decided against levying any fresh taxes in the state which will go to the assembly polls early next year. Among his major budget proposals, Badal announced to implement sixth Pay Commission recommendations for the government employees from July, a Rs 3,780 crore scheme --'Kamyaab Kisan Khushaal Punjab' for farmers, another dose of crop loan waiver, Rs 200 crore for crop diversification programme, doubling of an old-age pension and raising an amount under the Ashirwad scheme and employment for youth. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh described the budget as "growth-oriented" while the opposition called it as "bag of lies." With the speech of Badal laced with some couplets, the FM also announced a free travel facility for women in the state-owned undertaking buses in a "please-all" budget. It will cost Rs 150 crore to the state exchequer. During the budget speech, two Akali Dal legislators Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal and Dilraj Singh Bhundar staged a walk out for "not proposing anything" for farmers who commit suicides. After sometime, AAP legislators also stormed to the well of the House and staged a walkout over the "rising" the state debt. In an announcement for the state government employees who have been seeking payment of their arrears, Badal said a provision of Rs 9,000 crore has been made in the budget for the sixth Punjab Pay Commission. Expecting the submission of the report of the Pay Commission soon, Badal said the recommendations of the pay panel will be implemented from July 1 this year. "I also announce to pay the arrears, if any, in a staggered manner of which the first installment shall be paid in October, 2021 and the second installment in January 2022," Badal said in his speech. Stating that the well-being and prosperity of farmers was the central theme of the Congress-led government, Badal announced a new scheme 'Kamyaab Kisan Khushaal Punjab' worth Rs 3,780 crore, aimed to improve the income of farmers. Under this scheme, some key initiatives are proposed to be undertaken which include fixing base price for horticulture crops and payment of deficiency price as compensation, two new schemes to mitigate the risk of producers, agricultural marketing innovation research and intelligence centre to assist farmers in fetching better return through marketing intelligence reports etc, said Badal. With this scheme to be implemented in the next three years, an outlay of Rs 1,104 crore has been proposed for 2021-22. An amount of Rs 7,180 crore was provided towards free subsidy to farmers. The state government in the last four years had given free power worth Rs 23,851 crore, said Badal. Announcing the next phase of the Congress-led government's flagship programme 'crop loan waiver scheme', Badal announced an allocation of Rs 1,712 crore in which Rs 1,186 crore of 1.13 lakh farmers and Rs 526 crore of landless farm workers will be waived. Already, the state government has given a debt relief of Rs 4,624 crore to 5.83 lakh small and marginal growers. (editor@dailyworld.in)