Guj govt announces sops for poor, farmers in interim budget

Gujarat deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Tuesday presented a vote-on-account for first four months of the coming financial year, seeking approval of the Legislative Assembly for a Rs 64,255 crore interim budget.

Coming ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the budget included sops for the poor and the middle classes.

The budget's size for the financial year 2019-20 was pegged at Rs 1,91,817 crore, however, as the vote-on-account was presented for the first four months due to the coming elections, the government sought approval for spending of Rs 64,255 crore without announcing any new scheme or project.

The revenue income estimated for 2019-20 is 1,54,885 crore against Rs 1,40,531 crore in 2018-19.

The revenue expenditure was estimated at Rs 1,45,022 crore in 19-20 against Rs 1,39,153 crore in 18-19.

Patel, who holds the finance portfolio, said in his budget speech that in the last five years (2013-2017) Gujarat's average annual economic growth rate has been 9.9 per cent at ...