PremiumGujarat government on Wednesday presented its annual budget amid coronavirus pandemic. To boost education in the state, the government announced financial allocation of ₹32,719 crore for education sector. In the view of coronavirus pandemic, the state government allocated ₹11,323 crore for health and family welfare department.
Finance minister Nitinbhai Patel allotted ₹13,493 to urban development, ₹5,494 crore for water resources, ₹3,974 crore for water supply, ₹7,232 crore for the Krishi Khedut Kalyan Yojana, ₹4,353 for social justice and empowerment, and ₹1,502 crore for labour welfare and employment.
To develop the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train, the state government announced ₹1,500 crore. The roads and buildings department got ₹11,185 crore while ports and transport department received ₹1,478 crore.
A provision of ₹1,224 crore has been proposed for food and civil supplies, ₹1,814 crore for forest, environment, ₹563 crore for science and technology, ₹1,032 crore for the destitute and old age pension. The revenue department has been provided ₹4,548 crore in the Gujarat Budget 2021.
The government allocated ₹13,034 crore for energy and petrochemical sector and ₹910 crore for climate change department in the budget.
The industry and mines department, forest and environment department, and home department have been allocated ₹6,599 crore, ₹1,814 crore, and ₹7,960 crore respectively.
The state government earlier released "Gujarat Budget" mobile application to enable government officials, legislators and other citizens to access budgetary provisions on their mobile phones.
The mobile app will have five different sections, comprising budgetary allocations for 27 departments, budget highlights, finance minister's speech, important aspects of the budget and news coverage of it, said Patel.
"Since budget publications will be available online, the government will print only 20 per cent material, which would save 55 lakh pages," Patel informed.
