Ahmedabad/Gujarat : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Dediapada, Chaitar Vasava, criticized the Gujarat state budget presented in the Legislative Assembly today. Addressing the media, Vasava said that the budget presented by State Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai initially raised expectations among farmers, unemployed youth, employees, and citizens across various sectors. However, he described it as “election-oriented, directionless, and disappointing.”
Chaitar Vasava highlighted the provisions for the Tribal Development Department, noting that the budget allocated ₹5,425 crore for the current year. He criticized the government for failing to fully utilize previous allocations, pointing out that out of ₹4,373 crore allocated in 2024-25, only ₹3,373 crore was spent, and of ₹5,120 crore for 2025-26, only ₹2,410 crore was utilized. “The budget may appear large on paper, but in reality, funds for tribal development are either insufficiently used or diverted to other sectors,” he said.
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Chaitar Vasava further expressed concern over education and health provisions. According to Chaitar Vasava , schools face shortages of classrooms and teachers, while health facilities in tribal regions lack essential equipment like CT scans, X-rays, and sonography, despite a budget allocation of ₹25,403 crore. Over 100,000 children in tribal areas suffer from malnutrition. While the Women and Child Development Department received ₹7,690 crore, no concrete plans have been made to combat malnutrition, and the supplementary nutrition scheme has a provision of just ₹972 crore. He also pointed out that funding for the Gujarat Pattern Scheme has been reduced from over ₹1,000 crore last year to ₹200 crore this year.
The Narmada project has yet to deliver sufficient water to the district, and no clear provisions have been made for the rehabilitation and compensation of displaced residents. Similarly, despite ₹4,842 crore allocated to the energy department, there is no announcement on providing daytime or free electricity to farmers, nor a provision for 300 units of free domestic electricity.
Chaitar Vasava Criticizes Shortfall and Misallocation in Tribal Welfare Budget
Chaitar Vasava cited a previous announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Tribal Pride Day in Dediapada, promising ₹2 lakh crore for tribal communities over five years, but expressed disappointment that the current budget allocates only ₹5,425 crore. He alleged irregularities in the distribution of funds in various schemes, benefiting NGOs, contractors, and certain officials, rather than directly helping citizens.
આજે ગુજરાત રાજ્યનું વર્ષ 2026-27 નું બજેટ જાહેર થાય એમાં ગુજરાતની જનતા માટે વિપક્ષ તરીકે આમ આદમી પાર્ટીની શું અપેક્ષા છે તે AAP ધારાસભ્ય @Chaitar_Vasava એ વ્યક્ત કરી.#Gujarat #gujaratbudget2026 pic.twitter.com/RQDKWjlB6D
— AAP Gujarat (@AAPGujarat) February 18, 2026
He also criticized the lack of support for higher education among tribal students, transport facilities to other locations, unemployment allowances for educated youth, and compensation for sharecroppers, stating that none of these provisions were included in the budget. According to him, allocations for various sectors such as health, women and child development, road and housing, urban development, Gram Panchayat construction, MGNREGA, water supply, and the Narmada department primarily benefit officials, NGOs, and contractors, with little direct advantage to the common citizen.
Vasava Highlights Low Utilization of Tribal Development Funds Despite High Allocation
During the session, a starred question asked about the financial provisions for the Tribal Development Department. Chaitar Vasava bnoted that while the government shows large figures, actual utilization is low, with approximately 25% of funds often cut post-allocation. He also criticized events like development festivals, Amrit Mahotsavs, and Gaurav Yatras, arguing that despite tribal populations forming a significant proportion, their share in the budget remains inadequate.
On the issue of post-matric scholarships, he pointed out that last year, after prolonged struggle, ₹755 crore was sanctioned, but nearly 50% of students studying under management or vacant quotas are excluded, potentially affecting over 60,000 students.