Budget is pro-people, has something for everyone, says Gujarat CM Patel

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday termed the first and last budget presented by his government as pro-people and having "something for everybody".

The budget's outlay of Rs 2,43,965 crore was the highest compared to previous budgets of the state, he said.

Opposition Congress, on the other hand, said the budget lacked vision of development and was just a "web of figures."

The budget was pro-people, it will spur development and Gujarat will continue to be the growth engine of India with this historical budget, Patel said.

Bhupendra Patel took over as chief minister, replacing Vijay Rupani, in September 2021. This was the first budget of his government and also the last as elections are due in December 2022.

The budget has some or other scheme for everyone, such as schemes for farmers, for job creation, fishermen, tribals, the poor," Patel said.

The budget proposes a textile park in Navsari, international ceramic park in Morbi and a new commissionerate for imparting skills which will fuel growth, he noted.

The Vanbandhu Kalyan Scheme 2 will help the tribal population, the chief minister added.

Former state Congress chief Amit Chavda said the budget does not have any "vision".

"It does not address the concerns of unemployed youths, Asha (village health) workers or those who prepare mid-day meals in government primary schools, he said.

Another Congress MLA, Pratap Dudhat, termed the budget as a "web of figures." It does not have anything concrete for the people, he added.