The Gujarat state budget for 2014-15 allocates the largest share (48.76%) to the social sector such as education and health. It focuses on women empowerment, allocating Rs. 2436 crore and launching several schemes. Agriculture is emphasized as the "Year for Agricultural Development" with an 18% higher allocation of Rs. 4624 crore. Several existing healthcare and education schemes are expanded to benefit more families and individuals. The overall budget size sees a 17% increase over the previous year, and plan expenditure a 21% increase.

1. 20 MUST KNOWS ABOUT THE GUJARAT
STATE BUDGET 2014-15

2. Under the leadership of Smt. Anandiben Patel, Gujarat
continues its march towards inclusive growth and
development.
The state budget was presented by the state Finance
Minister Saurabh Patel on 1st July 2014.
Here are the 20 must knows about the Gujarat
budget-

3. 1.LION’S SHARE IN BUDGET ALLOCATED TO SOCIAL
SECTOR
 48.76% of the total Plan size allocated for social
services such as education and health
 Provision of Rs.22774 crores (17% of the total
budget size- plan and non-plan)- made for
education
 A 30% rise in allocations made for health, tribal
and labor sectors as compared to the previous
year

4. 2.EXTENSIVE FOCUS ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
 Provision of Rs.2436 crore made for women
empowerment
 With a goal to double the number of milk producers’
cooperative societies operated by women in the state-
Mukhya Mantri Mahila Pashupalan Protsahan Yojana
launched
 5% Interest subvention for 3 years on the loan
schemes of NABARD to women for purchasing milch
animals
 Kasturba Poshan Sahay Scheme disbursement
increased from Rs.2,100/- to Rs.6000/- to improve
nutritional diet among pregnant women
 ‘Abhayam’ 181 Women Helpline to be extended
throughout the state

5. 3.IMPETUS TO AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
 2014-15 announced as as the ‘Year for
Agricultural Development’
 Provision of Rs.4624 crores made for the
Agriculture sector- 18% higher allocation as
compared to the previous year
 Interest subvention at the rate of 6% for three
years for building godowns on the farms to boost
storage capacity in the state

6. 4.EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF ‘MUKHYAMANTRI
AMRUTAM (MA) YOJANA’
 Under Mukhyamantri Amrutam (MA) Yojana, medical
treatment is provided for very serious and fatal ailments
free of cost within the limit of Rs.2 lakhs per family to
the BPL (Below Poverty Line) families.
 An exemplary step to extend this scheme for the women
and children (up to 21 years of age) of families having
annual income of less than Rs.1.20 lakhs as well as to the
unorganized sector laborers and construction workers
taken in this budget
 Provision of Rs. 160 crores made for the same

7. 5.EXPANSION OF ‘DUDH SANJIVANI YOJANA’
 Under this scheme, Government has been
providing milk twice a week to 48 thousand
children in the age group of 3 to 6 years in the
anganwadis in 7 tribal talukas in the State.
 Benefits of the scheme extended to a further 17 tribal
talukas which will cover 5 lakh beneficiaries with a
total annual expenditure of Rs.31 crores through this
budget

8. 6.MAHATMA GANDHI SWACHHATA MISSION
 To mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi Swachhata Mission
has been launched which shall include various
aspects of cleanliness which shall be undertaken in
a phased manner.
 Allocated amount of Rs.290 crores for the urban areas
and Rs.267 crores for the rural areas

9. 7.SKILL DEVELOPMENT
 Increase in allocation on skill development from
Rs. 480 crores to Rs. 1151 crores in the past two
years
 To set up 19 new Government ITIs with a capacity
of 3800 seats ensuring that no taluka is left
without an ITI

10. 8.PANDIT DINDAYAL UPADHYAY YOUTH
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHEME
To provide 7% interest subvention for 3 years on
bank loans up to Rs. 1 lakh to youth who have
completed their ITI training to start their own
business

11. 9.EXCELLENCE IN SPORTS
To develop Center of Excellence for Sports in
major cities across the state

12. 10.KNOWLEDGE HUB
 To create a Knowledge Hub at Chokari village of
Padra taluka near Vadodara
 To be developed as a special education-cum-sports
zone which shall accommodate Children’s
University, Teachers University, Sports
University, and Central University in a single
place with common infrastructure

13. 11.ONLINE EDUCATION
Introduction of ‘Virtual Classroom Project’ for
quality education in English language and
mathematics in the primary schools

14. 12.NARMADA- SARDAR SAROVAR DAM
 Allocation of Rs.9000 crores for the Narmada
Yojana
 Work for construction of canals to be fast tracked
to improve availability of water across the state

15. 13.EMPOWERING THE POWER SECTOR
 Provision of Rs. 5,067 crores made for energy sector
 To be used to set up new substations, transmission
lines as well as provide over 100,000 agriculture power
connections during the fiscal
 Provision of Rs.150 crores under ‘Kisan Hit Urja Shakti
Yojana (KHUSHY)’ to provide quality electricity supply to
the agricultural sector

16. 14.INCENTIVES TO THE MICRO AND SMALL SCALE
INDUSTRIES
 Allocation of Rs. 100 crores for promoting micro
and small scale industries in the state with a target
of creating one lakh new units in the state in the
next 3 years
 Incentivizing the GIDCs and private developers to
create affordable spaces for such micro and small
scale industries

17. 15.PILGRIMAGE TOURISM
 To develop tourism around the theme of rich
pilgrimage culture in the state
 A fund created of Rs.100 crores for developing
tourism infrastructure

18. 16.DATTOPANT THENGDI KARIGAR VYAJ
SAHAY YOJANA’
 Assistance to artisans to secure loan up to Rs.1
lakh from banks by providing its collateral along
with 7% interest subvention for three years
 Scheme to benefit 50,000 artisans

19. 17.HOUSING FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
Allocation of Rs. 200 crore to provide financial
assistance to construction workers in city areas to
build or purchase their own houses

20. 18.REDUCTION IN FARES IN STATE TRANSPORT
BUSES
 Reduction in tax rate from 17.5% to 7.5% on the
sale of the ticket in state buses
 20 lakh passengers to be benefitted

21. 19.DOUBLING THE MLA GRANT FOR
DEVELOPMENT WORK
Increase in MLA grant for developmental
purposes from Rs. 50 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore

22. 20.NOTEWORTHY INCREASE IN BUDGET OUTLAY
 Overall budget size
2013-14 - Rs.114450 crores
2014-15 - Rs.133465 crores
[17% increase than the last year]
 Plan Expenditure
2013-14 - Rs.59000 crores
2014-15 - Rs.71330 crores
[21% more than the last year]