Gandhinagar, Feb 26 (IANS) Gujarat’s Rs 4.08 crore budget for 2026-27 is a historic document and a strong foundation for the state’s vision of ‘Developed Gujarat @ 2047,’ Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani said on Thursday.
Participating in the general discussion in the Legislative Assembly, Minister Vaghani contrasted the current financial management with the Congress-era budgets.
“During Congress rule, budgets were merely a web of numbers, without any integrated framework for development. Their governments turned the country’s economy into a ‘non-economic’. They did not even provide citizens with basic amenities, while some leaders personally wore freshly ironed clothes imported from Paris,” he said.
He highlighted Gujarat’s fiscal performance in NITI Aayog’s ‘Fiscal Health Index-2025’. “Gujarat is in the ‘Achiever’ category, i.e., the first category for financial management. By contrast, opposition-ruled states such as Punjab, Kerala, and West Bengal are in the lowest ‘Aspirational’ category,” he said.
The minister also pointed to the state’s low debt burden. “Gujarat’s public debt is only 18.2 per cent of GSDP, well below the legal limit of 27 per cent, reflecting strict fiscal discipline. Opposition-ruled Punjab has a Debt-to-GSDP ratio of 47 per cent, and Himachal Pradesh has 45 per cent. According to NCAER, Gujarat has achieved the best reduction in debt ratios over the past 10 years,” he said.
He explained the rationale for government borrowing, saying, “A government cannot run a state by saving alone. Large projects such as highways, bridges, the Narmada dam, and hospitals require significant capital. Borrowing to build infrastructure is a productive investment, unlike borrowing for indulgence.”
Comparing budget growth, he said, “In 2001-02, the budget was only Ra 36,000 crore. Today, it has increased by 1,100 per cent to Rs 4,08,053 crore. Similarly, per capita income has risen from Rs 19,713 to Rs 3,01,000, which is 60 per cent higher than the national average. Gujarat’s contribution to the national GDP today is 8.2 per cent.”
He also criticised the Congress government’s handling of national security.
“Seventeen years ago, during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Congress government merely sent dossiers and surrendered. Their own Home Minister admitted the army was ready, but the government prevented action. Today, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our armed forces respond decisively, as seen in Operation Sindoor,” he said.
Highlighting infrastructure delays during Congress rule, the minister said, “Congress deprived Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel of the Bharat Ratna for 41 years and stalled the Narmada project for decades, increasing its cost from Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 56,286 crore. The people of Gujarat took this financial burden.”
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s GYAN mantra, covering the poor, youth, farmers, and women, he said the government is committed to uplifting these sections.
“Rs 7,086 crore has been allocated for Social Justice. Over 57 crore accounts have been opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana for financial inclusion. Rs 25,403 crore is earmarked for Health and Family Welfare, with PMJAY – Ayushman Bharat providing support to the poor. Roads and Housing have received Rs 29,709 crore, enabling even village roads to meet global standards,” he said.
The minister also highlighted policy-driven industrial growth.
“Gujarat has become a manufacturing hub under modern policies in semiconductors, IT, biotechnology, and renewable energy. Farmers now receive electricity during the day under the ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojana,’ and this Rabi season, 44 lakh hectares were sown across the state,” he said.
Minister Vaghani described the budget as a written record of a golden future for coming generations, and congratulated Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Finance Minister Kanu Desai and his team for the comprehensive budget.
–IANS
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