Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Assembly passed supplementary demands for grants worth over Rs 7,500 crore on Thursday, which were incurred as additional expenditures during the 2023-24 financial year.
Tabling the demands, Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai said that the additional funds were allocated to support "pro-people" initiatives such as constructing houses for tribals and improving infrastructure like roads through the 'Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana'.
Rs 163 crore to build houses for tribals
The minister reiterated the government's commitment to providing housing for all. Initially, Rs 163 crore had been allocated under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana' for constructing houses for tribals, he informed
“But, to cover the maximum number of beneficiaries, we had allocated an additional budget of Rs 821 crore. We have also increased scholarships for tribal students, which led to extra expenditure,” said Desai.
Overall, the finance minister sought permission of the House for an additional expenditure of over Rs 7,500 crore incurred by various departments, including Roads and Buildings, Education, Food and Civil Supplies, Ports and Transport, and Tribal Development.
The House, dominated by the BJP, rejected the cut motions proposed by the opposition Congress and passed the supplementary demands for grants through a majority vote. Cut motions are typically used to challenge specific allocations proposed by the government as part of its demands for grants.
The budget session of the Assembly commenced on February 1, and Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai presented a budget of Rs 3.32 lakh crore for the financial year 2024-25 on February 2.
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