The first budget of the Bhupendra Patel 2.0 administration was delivered by state finance minister Kanubhai Desai, who focused on expanding investments and developing infrastructure, healthcare, and tourism. It is the biggest state budget so far with an outlay of £30.1 billion, up 23. 38% from £24.3 billion in 2022-23. Giving an optimistic forecast, Desai said the gross state domestic product growth clocked a CAGR of 12. 56% in the last decade. He projected revenue surplus of £91.68 million.
Pound 319 million has been allotted for Mission Schools of Excellence. Academic achievers of classes 1-8 under RTE will get Rs 20,000 to pursue studies in private schools. Four medical colleges will be set up in tribal regions.
Fastrack highway and road improvements will cost a total of £2.06 billion. High-speed corridors will be built on congested highways. Bharuch-Dahej Road will be converted to an motorway with access controls. Parikrama Path links border regions.
Industries received an £858.9 million boost including sops for big-ticket projects, incentives for MSMEs and infrastructure support at SIRs. Industrial parks for ceramic, bulk drugs, vehicle recycling, textile and IT and science parks will be set up.
The agriculture sector would receive £2.16 billion. Farmers will receive PM-KUSUM benefits, daytime electricity, and power connections at reduced rates.
Families eligible under PM Jan Arogya-Ma Yojana will get annual cover up to Rs 10,00,000, from existing Rs 500,000.
Pound 207.7- million boost to develop tourist circuits at SoU, White Desert, Dholavira, Gir, Ambaji-Dharoi, Dwarka-Shivrajpur beach, and Somnath. Yatradham Corridor and new airport at Dwarka is on cards.
The pound 3 billion metro projects in Surat and Ahmedabad get £90.5 million boost this year. With peak load power demand likely to touch 35,000MW in a decade, targets for renewable energy consumption revised to 42%. Pound 82.4 million allocated to boost solar rooftop adoption and £1.2 million earmarked for EV subsidies.