Gujarat woos all sections through Budget

Gandhinagar, Feb 21: The

government on Feb 20 presented Budget 2013-14 for

at Rs 1,14,450 crore, trying to ensure "inclusive and comprehensive" development by bringing all sections of society on board amid talk of the national role for its leader.

While the Budget levies new taxes of Rs 289 crore, it gives tax relief of Rs 245 crore to different sectors, generating an overall surplus of Rs 840.45 crore.

The budgetary allocations in areas of women and child development, health, education and youth and cultural departments has gone up by Rs 4,053 crore, to Rs 24,586 crore.

The social sector allocations make up 42.03 per cent of total plan allocation. The Budget specially provides for Rs 1,094 crore this year to fight malnutrition, along with an additional provision of Rs 24 crore for 'Balum Sukham' scheme, specially formed by the state government to fight malnutrition.

Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Nitin Patel said, "Our government is committed to the development of every section of society and each and every area of the state. Inclusive and comprehensive development is our motto."

The Modi government has often been criticised for burgeoning incidence of malnutrition in the state, and its standing in the human development index. "The government has increased its planned expenditure by 14.71 per cent to Rs 58,500 crore against the plan size of Rs 51,000 crore in 2012-13," Patel said.

The development expenditure of the state government has gone up to Rs 76,679 crore, which is almost 65 per cent of total Budget size of Rs 1,14,450 crore, he said.

PTI