Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced that GST on tools for micro irrigation would be waived off totally
Gujarat government on Tuesday made one more package of announcements extending benefits to farmers, tribal people, contractual employees and government Asha workers. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced that GST on tools for micro irrigation would be waived off totally, while the perks and emoluments of contractual employees and Asha Workers have been increased. The sops are seen as another attempt to win voters before the Assembly polls.
"The government has decided to waive off the total GST of 18% from tools which are used for micro irrigation and that financial burden of Rs 77.64 crore on government treasury will be borne by the Gujarat government every year now," said Patel, adding, "Farmers had made representations for this before us and we have accepted it."
The State has also decided to increase monthly emoluments of Asha workers by 50%, which will additionally burden the State treasury by Rs 57.14 crore but benefit more than 40,000 Asha workers in Gujarat. "We have extended the limit of annual income for tribal people to avail the benefits of government schemes. The income limit has been increased to Rs 1.20 lakh from Rs 47,000; the same has been increased to Rs. 1.50 lakh from Rs. 68,000 for beneficiaries in urban areas. The government would bear additional expense of Rs. 56.63 crore annually extending benefits to 2.50 lakh beneficiaries," added Patel.
He also informed that the government would grant more perks to contractual government employees who worked on 11-month contracts. This would include Rs 250 as a daily transport allowance, 11 casual leaves in year, maternity leaves for 90 days and Rs 2 lakh as compensation to family in case the employee dies while serving the government.
Earlier this month, the State waived off 4% VAT over fuels such as petrol and diesel and allowed purchase of groundnut and cotton crops at support price. It also decided to implement the 7th pay commission for government employees who work in municipalities, increase dearness allowance of 1% for all government employees and pensioners, increase the ceiling of annual income to avail free medical facilities in government and private hospitals under MA Scheme. It also decided to allot an additional salary of Rs 4000 to women employees in the Garment and Textile sector, a Diwali bonus of Rs 3500 to Class IV employees, waive off the toll tax for small vehicles on the Ring Road around Ahmedabad city, offer permanent jobs to dependents of Sanitation workers (in case of accidental deaths on the job) and common GDCR implementation in the State.
The government also constituted the commission and corporation for the welfare of economically backward families of non-reserved category communities. Criminal cases registered against the youth of the Patel community, except for cases of sedition, have also been withdrawn.
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 "Nitin Patel")
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