PM Modi
Credit: X/@ANI
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Friday tabled a Rs 3.32 lakh crore budgetary outlay for the fiscal year 2024-25, an increase of over Rs 31,000 crore compared to last fiscal. The highlights of the budget include provision for setting up a school for studying semiconductors, extending the Sabarmati Riverfront, and three new schemes named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.
Finance Minister Kanu Desai presented the Rs 146.72 crore surplus budget on the second day of the budget session in the state Assembly in Gandhinagar. He told the House that Gujarat has been growing at 14.89 per cent over the last two decades.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said in a statement that the budget "emphasised its focus on societal development, including the upliftment of the underprivileged, youth, farmers, and women".
He said, "The accounts for the fiscal year 2022-23 have been finalised, showing that Gujarat's total debt stands at 15.17 per cent of GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product). This marks the lowest debt level in the past decade, positioning Gujarat among the top three states in the country with the lowest debt burden."
One of the highlights of the budget was Finance Minister Desai's announcement of allocation of Rs 33 crore for setting up a school of semiconductors in collaboration with US-based Micron Technology, which is setting up its chip manufacturing unit in Sanand to create skilled youth in the industry.
The government has also allocated Rs 52 crore to set up a Fintech hub at GIFT city and Rs 100 crore for extending the Sabarmati Riverfront from Ahmedabad to GIFT city, covering a distance of 38 km. Currently, the riverfront on either side of the Sabarmati River is 11.5 km long.
The government also announced the launching of three schemes named after the Prime Minister as "Namo Lakshmi, Namo Saraswati and Namo Shree" to "promote nutrition, health, and education for all daughters".
The finance minister also announced the conversion of seven existing municipalities — Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Mehsana, and Surendranagar/Vadhwan — into municipal corporations.
The Opposition Congress, meanwhile, termed the budget as "disappointing" while saying that it lacked provision for creating jobs, improving health conditions in rural parts, lack of civic amenities, among others.