BJP govt in Gujarat presents last budget before polls; highest allocation for education

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat finance minister Kanu Desai on Thursday presented the BJP government's last budget before Assembly elections, choosing to levy no new taxes and making the highest allocation for education. The budget also scrapped professional tax for those earning a salary of up to Rs 12,000 per month.

Chief minister Bhupendra Patel said the budget was pro-poor and had something for everyone. The budget for the financial year 2022-23 proposed an outlay of Rs 2,43,965 crore, nearly Rs 17,000 crore more than the previous year. It estimated an overall surplus of Rs 560.09 crore. The government allocated the highest Rs 34,884 crore for the education sector, followed by Rs 15,568 crore to the energy and petrochemicals department, Rs 14,297 crore to the urban development, Rs 12,240 crore to health and family welfare and Rs 12,024 crore to road and building department.

While no new taxes were proposed, the state government gave further relief to the salaried classs by abolishing professional tax on the monthly salary of upto Rs 12,000. This will benefit nearly 15 lakh people, said Desai in the budget speech. At present, the state government deducts Rs 80 and Rs 150, respectively, from the monthly salary brackets of Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,000 to Rs 11,999. The relief would make a dent of Rs 108 crore in the state income, the finance minister said. The budget is focused mainly on providing social security, fighting malnutrition and creating new infrastructure, Desai told the House.

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Some of the key allocations included Rs 500 crore for a new scheme -- Mukhyamantri Gau Mata Poshan Yojna -- to provide financial assistance for running cow shelters (`Gaushalas'). Desai announced that a drone research and development centre, as well as drone training institutions, will be set up in Gujarat to promote the use of drones in agriculture, land measurement, health and maintenance of law and order. To promote medical education and research, the state government will establish a medical university, said Desai, adding that new medical colleges will be started in Botad, Khambhalia and Veraval towns of Saurashtra region.

The budget proposed an allocation of Rs 937 crore to construct 10,000 new classrooms in existing primary and secondary schools run by the government. On the lines of Military Schools run by the Centre, the state government will start "Raksha Shakti Schools" for students of standard 6th to 12th with "social participation," said Desai, adding that Rs 5 crore has been allotted in this budget for the scheme. The state government will also start 50 Jnan Shakti Residential Schools with an allocation of Rs 90 crore to provide quality education to one lakh talented students.

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The state government will also spend Rs 45 crore in 2022-23 to make sanitary pads available to women free of cost. To end malnutrition, Rs 76 crore has been allotted to provide double fortified salt with iron fortification to 70 lakh NFSA families every month at one rupee per kg, said Desai. The budget also proposed a significant hike in the pension given to elderly citizens and physically challenged persons in the state under various schemes. To augment mobile networks in tribal areas, the budget proposed an allocation of Rs 100 crore to set up 500 new mobile towers in two years, said Desai, adding that the state government has also planned to set up eight new MSME industrial estates in tribal areas and Rs 40 crore have been allotted in this year's budget for the project. While Rs 71 crore has been allotted to start free Wi-Fi service in 4,000 villages, Rs 933 crore have been allotted to construct 4 lakh houses in two years under the PM Awas Yojna-Gramin, said Desai.

The state government has also proposed an allocation of Rs 652 crore for various developmental works near the Statue of Unity in the Narmada district. The area is now known as Ekta Nagar. The money will be spent on building a 100-bed hospital, "Gujarat Vandana Museum" and to provide high-speed connectivity under Bharatnet phase-II in 52 villages near Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia. On the industrial front, Desai said agri-food parks will be set up at five places, alongwith five seafood parks. A textile park will come up in Navsari district under the PM MITRA scheme of the Centre. The minister proposed an outlay of Rs 400 crore for establishing an "international ceramic park" at Morbi for "creating new export opportunities".