Gandhinagar, 10 July, 2014

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government’s all-inclusive first Budget would end years of gloom and usher in all round development of India with ‘Sabka Saath; Sabka Vikas’ ensuring everybody’s development with everybody’s co-operation.

Commenting on the Union Budget as presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament within 45 days of assuming power, she said it provided the direction to restore India’s pride and place in the world during the next five years. It reflected the BJP-led Government’s commitment to maximum governance through minimum government.

Mrs. Patel said the budgetary provision of Rs.200-crore for the ambitious Statue of Unity near the site of Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam on the Narmada is befitting the stature of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as Iron Man of India and Architect of India’s Union and Integration. She hoped the provision would help Prime Minister’s dream project.

She thanked the Prime Minister for including several projects for Gujarat like Rs.100-crore for Metro Rail in Ahmedabad, Textile Clusters at Surat and Kutch, developing Kandla as SEZ and Ultra Solar Project to lend pace to the state’s progress.

The Chief Minister dubbed the Union Budget as a matter of pride and joy for Gujarat and the Gujaratis, recognizing the Gujarat model development for entire India, like Rurban, 24×7 Jyoti Gram, Vanbandhu Kalyan, Youth’s Skill Development. The credit goes to the then Chief Minister and present Prime Minister for the vision to launch these projects.

She specifically praised allocation of Rs.150-crore for safety of women, save girl and girls’ education, loans for self-employment of women’s groups, increasing agricultural growth, toilets for every house by 2019 and house for everybody by 2022, Rs.7,060-crore for 100 new Smart Cities for the newly emerged Middle Class, broadband digital India programme for the rural areas, corporate social responsibility for development of slums and setting up a national centre for climate change. She also hailed taking cognizance of vital issues like linking administrative transparency and fast clearance with e-platform.