<p>The Gujarat government on Thursday presented a Rs 2,43,965 crore surplus budget for 2022-2023, an increase of Rs 16,936 crore compared to the previous year. This is also the last budget for the ruling party as the state is gearing up for Assembly polls later this year.</p>.<p>While the government claimed that it was not an “election budget” despite offering a number of freebies, the opposition Congress termed it as “jobless, growthless and hopeless.”</p>.<p>Invoking the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a dozen times in his speech, finance minister Kanu Desai presented the budget highlighting how gross state domestic product increased from Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 2001 when Modi took over as chief minister to Rs 20 lakh crore at present.</p>.<p>He said that in these two decades, the state’s per capita income also increased from Rs 19,823 to Rs 2,14, 809. </p>.<p>Announcing a budget of Rs 500 crore for protecting cows in the state under “Mukhyamantri Gau Mata Poshan Yojna”, he said, “Cow has immense importance in Indian culture. Since the time of Dwarikadhish Lord Shri Krishna, cow protection and cow rearing has assumed huge significance. Our government is working actively for protection and conservation of cows and breeding of local varieties...”</p>.<p>The money will be spent on running and maintenance of cowsheds and cow shelter homes. Besides, he also announced a provision of Rs 100 crores for addressing the issue of stray animals in villages and cities. </p>.<p>Desai also allocated Rs 213 crore for “maintenance of cows for the farmers who are engaged in organic farming entirely based on cows.” He announced a budgetary allocation of Rs 14 crore for developing religious sites. This included Rs 1 crore funds for “Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Shabari Smriti Yatra to celebrate the memory of MAA Shabari among the tribal people.”</p>.<p>The state government claims that Gujarat's tribals are descendants of "Shabari Mata" who is believed to have met Lord Ram during his 14-year exile in the jungle of Dangs, a district in south Gujarat where a temple "Shabari Dham" is also located. </p>.<p>Besides, Rs4 crore has been allocated to develop facilities in the circuit of religious places located in the tribal belt between Statue of Unity-Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) to Saputara. In addition to that Rs9 crore will be spent for "establishing light and sound shows at pilgrim places and for installing CCTV cameras and Wi-Fi facilities at 8 important pilgrim places."</p>.<p>As a matter of fact, chief minister Bhupendra Patel led government has given special focus on tribal development for which it has allocated Rs 2,909 crore. Claiming that the government has started "Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana-2 (welfare scheme for tribals) for five years at the cost of Rs1 lakh crore.</p>.<p>The finance minister said that Rs 100 crore will be spent for 500 new mobile towers to be erected in tribal areas, 25 Birsa Munda Jnansetu Residential Schools will be established with social participation, where 50,000 students will be provided education at a cost of Rs 45 crore. </p>.<p>The government has promised "free of cost Wi-Fi" facilities in 4000 villages in the initial stage for which Rs 71 crore has been allocated. The budget also promises a whopping Rs 8,300 crore worth of subsidised power for the farmers. The government also announced Rs 734 crore for providing free of cost electricity for waterworks to all gram panchayats. </p>.<p>Saying that "women and children are the bedrock of society," finance minister Desai also announced a free monthly supply of Rs 1 kg pigeon pea or tuver dal, 2 kg of gram and 1 kg edible oil to pregnant women and lactating mothers for 1000 days while proposing "Suposhit Mata-Swasth Bal Yojna" with an outlay of Rs 4,000 crore for next five years.</p>.<p>The government has announced several other free cost services such Rs 54 crore to provide one drum and two plastic baskets free of cost to farmers for multipurpose uses, Rs 122 crore for free lodging and boarding facilities for 27,000 girls studying in 245 Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalaya in remote and interior areas, Rs 145 crore for free textbooks to students of "all castes" studying in government and grant in aid secondary and higher secondary schools. </p>.<p>The government also announced the provision of Rs 45 crore for free sanitary pads to generate awareness about menstruation among adolescent girls and women. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>The Gujarat government on Thursday presented a Rs 2,43,965 crore surplus budget for 2022-2023, an increase of Rs 16,936 crore compared to the previous year. This is also the last budget for the ruling party as the state is gearing up for Assembly polls later this year.</p>.<p>While the government claimed that it was not an “election budget” despite offering a number of freebies, the opposition Congress termed it as “jobless, growthless and hopeless.”</p>.<p>Invoking the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a dozen times in his speech, finance minister Kanu Desai presented the budget highlighting how gross state domestic product increased from Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 2001 when Modi took over as chief minister to Rs 20 lakh crore at present.</p>.<p>He said that in these two decades, the state’s per capita income also increased from Rs 19,823 to Rs 2,14, 809. </p>.<p>Announcing a budget of Rs 500 crore for protecting cows in the state under “Mukhyamantri Gau Mata Poshan Yojna”, he said, “Cow has immense importance in Indian culture. Since the time of Dwarikadhish Lord Shri Krishna, cow protection and cow rearing has assumed huge significance. Our government is working actively for protection and conservation of cows and breeding of local varieties...”</p>.<p>The money will be spent on running and maintenance of cowsheds and cow shelter homes. Besides, he also announced a provision of Rs 100 crores for addressing the issue of stray animals in villages and cities. </p>.<p>Desai also allocated Rs 213 crore for “maintenance of cows for the farmers who are engaged in organic farming entirely based on cows.” He announced a budgetary allocation of Rs 14 crore for developing religious sites. This included Rs 1 crore funds for “Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Shabari Smriti Yatra to celebrate the memory of MAA Shabari among the tribal people.”</p>.<p>The state government claims that Gujarat's tribals are descendants of "Shabari Mata" who is believed to have met Lord Ram during his 14-year exile in the jungle of Dangs, a district in south Gujarat where a temple "Shabari Dham" is also located. </p>.<p>Besides, Rs4 crore has been allocated to develop facilities in the circuit of religious places located in the tribal belt between Statue of Unity-Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) to Saputara. In addition to that Rs9 crore will be spent for "establishing light and sound shows at pilgrim places and for installing CCTV cameras and Wi-Fi facilities at 8 important pilgrim places."</p>.<p>As a matter of fact, chief minister Bhupendra Patel led government has given special focus on tribal development for which it has allocated Rs 2,909 crore. Claiming that the government has started "Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana-2 (welfare scheme for tribals) for five years at the cost of Rs1 lakh crore.</p>.<p>The finance minister said that Rs 100 crore will be spent for 500 new mobile towers to be erected in tribal areas, 25 Birsa Munda Jnansetu Residential Schools will be established with social participation, where 50,000 students will be provided education at a cost of Rs 45 crore. </p>.<p>The government has promised "free of cost Wi-Fi" facilities in 4000 villages in the initial stage for which Rs 71 crore has been allocated. The budget also promises a whopping Rs 8,300 crore worth of subsidised power for the farmers. The government also announced Rs 734 crore for providing free of cost electricity for waterworks to all gram panchayats. </p>.<p>Saying that "women and children are the bedrock of society," finance minister Desai also announced a free monthly supply of Rs 1 kg pigeon pea or tuver dal, 2 kg of gram and 1 kg edible oil to pregnant women and lactating mothers for 1000 days while proposing "Suposhit Mata-Swasth Bal Yojna" with an outlay of Rs 4,000 crore for next five years.</p>.<p>The government has announced several other free cost services such Rs 54 crore to provide one drum and two plastic baskets free of cost to farmers for multipurpose uses, Rs 122 crore for free lodging and boarding facilities for 27,000 girls studying in 245 Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalaya in remote and interior areas, Rs 145 crore for free textbooks to students of "all castes" studying in government and grant in aid secondary and higher secondary schools. </p>.<p>The government also announced the provision of Rs 45 crore for free sanitary pads to generate awareness about menstruation among adolescent girls and women. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
