Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], February 20 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday expressed confidence in the state budget, stating that all budgets presented by Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai have been for public welfare.

'All the budgets that our Finance Minister Kanubhai has presented till now have been for the welfare of the people... I am sure that the same will happen this time, too,' said CM Bhupendra Patel.

Gujarat Finance Minister Kanu Desai highlighted the government's commitment to inclusive development while presenting the budget.

'This is the fourth budget of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's government. We've prioritized public development and welfare, building on Gujarat's growth model, inspired by PM Modi's vision since 2001. Our focus remains on empowering youth, women, and the specially-abled, ensuring inclusive development,' said Kanu Desai.

Meanwhile, on February 17, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel approved a total allocation of Rs 537.21 crore for various urban welfare projects across the state in a move to enhance urban infrastructure and improve residents' quality of life.

The funds will be utilized for a range of initiatives, including road construction, drainage systems, electric buses, and city beautification, benefiting cities like Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and the newly formed Porbandar.

As per a press release from the CMO Gujrat, 'Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has taken a proactive step by allocating funds for urban welfare projects aimed at improving the ease of living for residents in the state's cities and metropolitan areas.'

In response to the proposals submitted by the Urban Development Department, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel set one more example of transparency and swift decision-making by allocating a total of Rs 537.21 crore for public welfare development works of municipal corporations, newly formed municipal corporations, and municipalities said the release.

Earlier, the Gujarat Chief Minister introduced G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Antyodaya Families for Augmenting Livelihoods), an initiative aimed at strengthening the livelihoods of Antyodaya families (underprivileged families), empowering women, and promoting economic self-sufficiency, a statement by the CMO read.

This initiative is expected to uplift 50,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholder families across 25 talukas in 10 districts of Gujarat over the next five years. (ANI)