Gujarat Finance Minister Shri Vajubhai Vala while announcing the budget at Assembly House said his budget is for an all-round development of the state. Finance Minister said that various provisions made in the budget for the year 2011-12 is amounting to Rs.80,694-cr, 16% more than the provisions of 2010-11. He said that Rs.52109-cr is to be spent for growth-oriented things, aginst Rs.27129-cr, to be spent for the things which are not directly related to growth. Over 92% of more allocation for growth related things vindicates that the government is giving high importance to the all-round development, he said.
While giving details of the allocations in the budget, Shri Vala said the budget has given the top priority to social services making a provision Rs.14814-cr for it which is 39.87% of the total provisions. He said that the provision of Rs.5839-cr has been made for energy and infrastructure, a 12.55% more than the previous budget.
Stating that the spirit of democracy lies in involving people in the development process, he said that with a view to decentralize administrative power, the state government has planned a novel initiative called ‘Aapano Taluko Vibrant Taluko’ (ATVT). The initiative will involve taluka units into development process and will create a healthy competition between them. While Rs.600-cr has been proposed for this scheme during the current year the state government has planned to spend Rs.2700-cr for setting up various infrastructural facilities in talukas during next four years, he said.
He said the state government has decided to strengthen the administrative structure with the implementation of ATVT scheme and keeping this view, it will double the number of ‘prants’ in the state. A provision of Rs.180-cr has been made for the ATVT public service centers. Moreover, a provision of Rs.11,000-cr has been made for various development schemes which will be spent from taluka level during next four years.
While giving details of the pro-people Mission Mangalam scheme, Shri Vala said that a provision of Rs.200-cr has been made under the scheme for the economic empowerment of the poor women through the mechanism of Sakhimandala. State government is giving high importance to irrigation. Hence it has doubled the provision for Sardar Sarovar scheme and made it to Rs.7010-cr from Rs.3500-cr, he said.
Provision of Rs.2553-cr has been made for the education sector whereas Rs.2145-cr has been allocated to health and family welfare, he said. State government has planned a new experiment in which it will setup day-time schools in backward and interior regions of the state with a view to provide quality education to children living there. Ten such schools will be opened on experiment basis during the year 2011-12, he added. State government is in planning to develop the medical colleges of Patan, Sola, Gotri and Valsad while medical colleges of Janagadh, Vadnagar and Gandhinagar will be provided with more infrastructures, finance minister said.
For the construction of metro train project between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, a company called Metrolink Express has been set up and provision of Rs.50-cr has been made as its share capital. The budget has a special provision for making a express highway linking SIR at Dholera and Ahmedabad and also for widening the roads joining the district centers, he said.
Finance Minister said that the budget has made provisions of Rs.2045-cr for Agriculture and Cooperation Department, Rs.1822-cr for Water Supply Department, Rs.1264-cr for Women and Child Development Department, Rs.3030-cr for Urban Development Department, Rs.3341-cr for Road and Building, Rs.1900-cr for Petrochemicals, Rs.1515-cr for Industries and Mines, Rs.200-cr for Tourism Department, Rs.4848-cr for Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana and Rs.2030-cr for the welfare of scheduled types.
