Gandhinagar: The first budget of the 15th Assembly of the state of Gujarat was presented. State Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai presented the budget for the second time. The total budget of the state government for the year 2013-2014 is 3 lakh 1 thousand rupees. However, in this budget, the government has not increased the tax rate as part of providing relief to the citizens.
It is worth mentioning here that among the 76 budgets presented in Gujarat, Vajubhai Vala presented the budget 18 times as the finance minister. The historic jumbo budget presented by Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai has seen a drastic increase in the budget of all departments. However, the most importance is given to the tourism department. Because it is an important source of revenue for the state government. So, the budget of this department has been increased by 170 percent compared to last year to develop tourism places in the state. This year the budget of 2077 crores has been allocated against the allocation of 769 crores to the tourism department last year. It means that 1308 crores have been increased.
In this budget allocation, the government has allocated budgets with mostly huge increases in all departments. 6783.94 crores increase in the budget of Narmada Water Resources and Water Supply Department, a total of 8574 crores for Home Department Advertising, a total of Rs.7 crores for Information and Broadcasting Department, a total of Rs. 8589 crores, 1580 crores for promotion of textile industry, 2193 crores for science and technology department.
The state government has increased the budget of the education department for the year 2013-2014 by Rs.10 percent. 3109 crore has been allocated for Mission School of Excellence. While 64 crores have been provided for Gnanasetu Day School, 5 crores for protected schools, 109 crores for infrastructure facilities of government schools, 87 crores for school assistants. New projects have been undertaken to improve the condition of roads in the state, to solve traffic problems by constructing new bridges. The state government has provided Rs. 0641 crore in the budget of road-building department this year with an increase of 71.70 percent compared to last year.
In the agricultural sector, the state government has adopted a long-term development strategy. It is planned to help the farmers from sowing to sale. The aim is to increase the farmer’s income by diversifying agriculture through allied activities like horticulture, animal husbandry, agro-processing, agro-marketing, using advanced technology. The government has undertaken a campaign to provide services at the doorstep of the people by simplifying and digitizing land and revenue management and bringing transparency in operations. In which now the government has implemented the policy of getting Khedu Kharai certificate with digital signature at home.
The state government has allocated 1518 crores with an increase of 24 percent in the budget to increase the coverage of health services. Apart from this, the assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya facility has also been increased. 500 crores under the Chief Minister Gaumata Nutrition Yojana for cattle management to cowsheds, cages and TST-run institutions, 109 crores for the Chief Minister’s free animal treatment scheme and mobile animal hospital services, 6.6 crores for assistance in setting up dairy farms and animal units for rural self-employment, milk producers’ cooperative societies. 12 crores for developing infrastructure, 10 crores for the services of Karuna Animal Ambulance-196, 10 crores for starting new 150 permanent animal hospitals in the state. Schemes under the Urban Development Department play a major part in the development of the cities of the state. Considering the development of urban areas, the government has increased the budget of the Urban Development Department by Rs. 388 crores.