Jaipur: The Bhajan Lal government presented its first interim budget for the year 2024-25 in the Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday, amid protests by the opposition Congress over the issue of a woman trapped in a borewell. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Diya Kumari, who became the first full-fledged woman finance minister of the state to present the budget, announced several welfare schemes and development projects for various sections of the society.
The budget, which has an estimated fiscal deficit of Rs. 1.23 lakh crore, focused on the themes of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vikas’, with an aim to bring the state to the forefront in terms of growth and development. Some of the major announcements made by the finance minister are:
- Interest free loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh to farmers for agricultural purposes, with a provision of Rs. 2,000 crore for the scheme.
- Recruitment of 70,000 posts in various departments, including 50,000 teachers, 10,000 police personnel, 5,000 nurses, and 5,000 patwaris.
- Free education from KG to PG for all students in government schools and colleges, with a budget allocation of Rs. 28,000 crore for the education sector.
- A new metro route from Mansarovar to Badi Chaupar in Jaipur, with an estimated cost of Rs. 5,500 crore, to be completed by 2026.
- Installation of solar plants in 5 lakh houses, with a subsidy of 50% for the beneficiaries, and a target of generating 10,000 MW of solar power by 2030.
- Free LPG cylinders to women of poor families at Rs. 450 per cylinder, benefiting 73 lakh families.
- Increase in the quantity of meal from 450 grams to 600 grams under the Shri Annapurna Rasoi scheme, and increase in the assistance from Rs. 17 to Rs. 22 per plate, with an annual expenditure of Rs. 350 crore.
- Merger of the Chiranjeevi Yojana with the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, to provide health insurance of up to Rs. 5 lakh to all the families in the state, with a budget provision of Rs. 2,100 crore.
- Startup loans of up to Rs. 10 lakh to the youth, with a subsidy of 35%, and a budget allocation of Rs. 500 crore for the scheme.
- Lakshmi Didi scheme, to provide financial assistance of Rs. 50,000 to women self-help groups for starting their own enterprises, with a budget provision of Rs. 200 crore.
- Crackdown on illegal mining, with a penalty of Rs. 25 lakh and imprisonment of up to 10 years for the offenders, and a revenue target of Rs. 6,000 crore from the mining sector.
- Promotion of tourism, with a budget allocation of Rs. 1,000 crore for the development of tourist destinations, infrastructure, and facilities.
The finance minister also highlighted the achievements of the Bhajan Lal government in the past one year, such as the successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme, the distribution of free ration and cash relief to the poor, the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission, and the revival of the economy. She said that the state’s GDP growth rate is expected to be 9.5% in 2023-24, compared to the national average of 8.5%.
The budget was welcomed by the ruling BJP and its allies, who hailed it as a pro-people, pro-farmer, pro-women, and pro-development budget. However, the Congress slammed the budget as a bundle of lies, false promises, and jugglery of numbers. The Congress leaders accused the government of ignoring the issues of unemployment, inflation, corruption, law and order, and farmers’ distress. They also demanded the resignation of the chief minister over the delay in the rescue operation of the woman trapped in a borewell in Jalore district.
The budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly will continue till February 19, with the discussion on the budget proposals and the passage of the finance bill.
