The Gujarat government on Tuesday presented the vote on account in the state Assembly. With estimated expenses of more than Rs 63,000 crore, the state government announced 26 new schemes for the needy. With the Lok Sabha polls in mind, the BJP government in the state loosened its purse strings for farmers, fishermen and the needy, and at the same time, avoided imposing burden of new taxes on citizens. Finance minister and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel presented the vote on account to approve expenditure by the government for the next four months. The interim budget size for the financial year 2019-20 is estimated at Rs 1,91,817 crore. The schemes for farmers include a one-time settlement scheme with a waiver of Rs 691 crore for power bill dues of 6.74 lakh farmers and poor people, withdrawal of all power theft cases against farmers in the state, allocation of Rs 500 crore for revolving fund for zero-interest loans to farmers in the state and irrigation schemes for farmers in tribal areas. The government also announced that the daily allowance to families of Pak-captured Gujarati fishermen will be doubled from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000 per month, subsidy on fuel for over 10,000 boat owners would be increased to Rs 15 from Rs 12 per litre and a new fishing harbour will developed at Valsad. Farmers and fishermen constitute a huge chunk of voters in Gujarat and therefore, the schemes announced in the vote on account are a clear effort by the government to please them. Patel said, "Ours is a government that is transparent, sensitive and decisive. The vote on account presented today reflects that the resources of the state government have been judiciously allocated across various sectors to accelerate Gujarat's strides in development. The government has avoided introducing any new taxes on citizens in the vote on account. The full-size budget of the government will be presented in the modified budget that will be presented after the Lok Sabha polls." Besides this, the Gujarat government also tried to broaden the base of beneficiaries of free medical schemes in the state by announcing an increase in the annual medical expenditure assistance under MA Vatsalya Yojana from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The government increased the annual family income cap of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh as well. Long-pending demands of Asha and Anganwadi workers in the state were accepted and their remuneration was increased. Pension for widows and senior citizens has also been revised. THE VOTE-ON-ACCOUNT Govt presents a Rs 12K cr surplus interim budget Rs 623 crore for drinking water supply pipeline from Sipu dam to Tharad in Banaskantha for drinking water supply pipeline from Sipu dam to Tharad in Banaskantha Rs 6,945 cr for Narmada Yojana and for underground pipelines in Kutch for Narmada Yojana and for underground pipelines in Kutch Farmers of eastern belt in Panchmahals district will get water for irrigation New 1,000 feeders at the expense of Rs 3,600 crore under SKY scheme

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