Budget Reflects Trust-Based Governance and Human-Centric Growth: Chief Minister

Welcoming the Gujarat Budget for the year 2026–27, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel described it as a budget that realizes the vision of trust-based governance and a human-centric economic structure. He said the budget reflects unwavering faith and a firm commitment to continuous development, allowing every citizen to take pride in Gujarat’s fast-paced progress during the Swabhiman Parv being celebrated under the inspiration of the Prime Minister.

The Chief Minister welcomed the ₹4.08 lakh crore budget for 2026–27, stating that it has been presented with development and public welfare at its core. He noted that Gujarat continues to move ahead on the path of uninterrupted development under the guidance of Narendra Modi, without imposing any new tax burden on the people. The budget size has increased by 10.2 percent compared to the previous year, with 65 percent of total expenditure earmarked for development-oriented spending.

He said the budget places special focus on the empowerment of all sections of society, particularly the poor, youth, farmers, and women. Keeping youth in mind, more than ₹64,000 crore—around 20 percent of the budget—has been allocated for education, sports, art, and culture. Additionally, ₹226 crore has been provided for the “Namo Gujarat Skill and Employment Mission” to create a skilled, capable, and future-ready youth workforce.

Highlighting the emphasis on environmentally friendly development, Chief Minister Patel said that responding to the Prime Minister’s call for green growth, over ₹15,000 crore has been allocated under the Green Budget. He added that 19 percent of the budget has been allotted for health, well-being, and social services, while 11 percent has been allocated for agriculture, irrigation, water resources, and urban development—advancing the vision of inclusive growth.

The Chief Minister welcomed the declaration of 2026 as “Gujarat Tourism Year,” with a budgetary provision of ₹6,500 crore to take the tourism sector to new heights. Speaking on tribal welfare, he said that in the year marking the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, more than ₹35,000 crore has been allocated to bring tribal regions into the development mainstream, along with plans to establish five new GIDCs in tribal areas to generate local employment.

He also highlighted irrigation projects covering 51,480 hectares across 18 talukas in four tribal districts. Emphasizing sports development, he noted that due to the efforts of Amit Shah, Ahmedabad has secured the opportunity to host the Commonwealth Games, and more than ₹1,200 crore has been allocated for sports infrastructure and modern transport to make the city Olympic-ready.

Referring to the ongoing India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, the Chief Minister said the present era belongs to AI and deep technology. To keep Gujarat at the forefront of AI and digital governance initiatives, over ₹850 crore has been allocated, along with announcements for a Data Fusion Center and a Centre of Excellence.

Congratulating Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai and his team, Chief Minister Patel said this inclusive budget, built on five pillars—social security, human resource development, infrastructure, economic growth, and green growth—will enable every Gujarati to take pride in the state’s dynamic development.

Source: Information Department, Gujarat