CM announces Rs.14,000-crore ‘Gujarat Atmanirbhar Package’ for farmers, traders, industry to revive economy from COVID-19 crisis
Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today announced Rs.14,000-crore ‘Gujarat Atmanirbhar Package’ to make farmers, traders, self-employed, professionals, industrialists self-reliant and to revive the state’s economy from the COVID-19 crisis evolved due to lockdown.
The packages to make various contributors of economy self-reliant are in the form of assistance and incentives, subsidy, exemptions, payment of taxes, including GST and VAT,
extension of dates of payment, arrears of electricity and water bills, property tax, moratorium, etc.
The detailed announcement has been made for different categories of target groups and beneficiaries by their size for different periods – sometimes for the previous months of April and May, sometimes for current month of June, for the next quarter July-September, sometime for the entire Financial Year 2020-21.
The package has been announced in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel, Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, Saurabhbhai Patel and others.
Mr. Rupani said the Gujarat Government’s packages are expected to help different sections of the society convert crisis into opportunity, particularly the last man in the last mile, the poor, have-nots and oppressed.
This package is based on the interim report prepared by the Gujarat Government’s high-power committee, headed by Central Government’s former Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia.
The state government received the interim report three days back and has announced the package after in-depth study and brain-storming sessions by Ministers, senior Secretaries, prominent citizens, captains of industries and others.
The target groups include small shopkeepers and cart pullers to GIDC units, commercial vehicle operators, payment for land prices for new projects.
The highlights include subsidy for 1.60 lakh affordable houses, gas subsidy for tiles and ceramic units of Morbi and Surendranagar, exempting electricity tariff for small residential units. This also include benefits for the outgoing period beginning April last, damage to crops.