Gujarat CM Hails Budget as 'Reform Express' to Viksit Bharat Under PM Modi

Responding to the Union Budget, he said that the budget prepared at Kartavya Bhavan focuses on three duties. Of these three duties, the first is to accelerate and sustain economic growth, the second is to fulfil the aspirations of the people and build their capacity. The third duty aligns with the vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and gives priority to agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, self-help groups, the rural economy, and inclusive development for all.

The Chief Minister said that this budget will strengthen the pillars of GYAN, namely Garib (the poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers), Nari Shakti, as well as Divyangjan. Moreover, a highly commendable approach has been adopted to include all sectors of society and every section of the population in the creation of Viksit Bharat.

Welcoming the future benefits to Gujarat under this Union Budget, the Chief Minister said that the inclusion of Lothal and Dholavira in the country's archaeological heritage cluster tourism development will realise the approach of 'Virasat bhi Vikas bhi ' in Gujarat through tourism. With the scheme to prepare 10,000 tourist guides for 20 iconic tourist destinations across the country, employment opportunities at Gujarat's iconic tourist places will also increase.

The Chief Minister described this budget as one that gives a new direction to urban development. He added that the Prime Minister's unwavering commitment to urban excellence is reflected in this budget. He also expressed hope that the announcement to develop Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities with populations over 5 lakh as City Economic Regions will accelerate the planned development of smaller cities in the state.

Referring to Gujarat's leading position in the issuance of municipal bonds in the country, he stated that strengthening the municipal bond market is a commendable step by the central government. The incentives announced for municipal bonds in this budget will also benefit Gujarat's municipalities, a release read.

Chief Minister further said that this is an incentive-oriented budget for everyone, from MSMEs to large industries. Special focus has been placed on sectors such as infrastructure, industries, cutting-edge technology, semiconductors, and data centres, and emphasis on MSMEs will greatly benefit small and micro industries.

He said that the incentives announced for manufacturing industries will boost Gujarat's manufacturing sector, while around six schemes aimed at energizing the textile sector will benefit the state's textile industry.

In addition, the announcement of three chemical parks and an allocation of Rs. 10,000 crore for biopharma industries will also benefit industries in these sectors in Gujarat. Expressing confidence, the Chief Minister said that the announcement to create a dedicated rare earth corridor in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu will prove to be another step towards self-reliance in meeting the country's critical minerals requirements.

The central government has announced in this budget the creation of five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors. Chief Minister said that these planned education zones, comprising multiple universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres (Kaushalya Kendra), and residential complexes, will strengthen the skill ecosystem of the states.

He stated that the announcement to connect Surat with Dankuni in eastern India through the Dedicated Freight Corridor will prove to be a 'masterstroke' in the direction of reducing logistics costs. South Gujarat's industry will now have 'high-speed' connectivity to trade with eastern India, which will give unprecedented momentum to the state's trade and economy. In addition, the announcement to create 20 new National Waterways will further strengthen connectivity through water routes in the country.

The Chief Minister said that the proposal to launch the Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj initiative under the leadership of the Prime Minister to strengthen khadi, handlooms, and handicrafts has been presented in this budget.

As a result, local products will receive support in global market linkage and branding. Training, Skills, processes, and product quality will be enhanced. Not only this, weavers, rural industries, One District One Product initiatives, and rural youth will also benefit, a release stated.

He stated that the Prime Minister has always respected taxpayers and regarded them as the driving force of the nation's development. In this budget too, keeping in mind the respect for taxpayers, provisions have been made to treat errors in tax filing as mistakes rather than crimes and to impose penalties instead of punishment, which is also commendable.

The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Finance Minister for a holistic and inclusive budget that promotes welfare, inclusive development, and the vision of a Viksit and Aatmanirbhar Bharat for all, including the common citizen, a release stated

- ANI