Rajasthan Budget

For the first time in the history of Rajasthan, the Congress party presented an Agriculture budget along with the annual budget for the year 2022-23. Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot Ji’s speech lasted for 2 hrs and 57 minutes - the longest speech - focusing on every aspect of the people’s welfare.

In its budget, the Congress government in Rajasthan recognises 85 lakh families that rely on agriculture. Keeping their welfare in mind, an allotment of Rs 5,000 crores has been made towards 'Rajasthan Mukhya Mantri Krishak Saathi Yojana’. Further, the Rajasthan Micro Irrigation Mission provides for about Rs 2,700 crore for the farmer families.

The annual budget focuses on many areas including but not limited to health, education, employment, women empowerment, and development.

At a time when the nation is going through a rough and widespread patch of unemployment, the Congress-led government in the state has proposed additional twenty-five days of employment in the MNREGA scheme which ensures hundred days of employment to each capable individual. Along similar lines, employment in urban areas has also been promised now through the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme. At the same time, 1 lakh posts in government jobs have been announced.

Bringing relief to families in times of a pandemic, the budget also promises free electricity up to 50 units for those consuming 100 units per month, while ₹3 per unit grant for those consuming up to 150 units and ₹2 per unit for those with consumption of 150 to 300 units up to the consumption of 150 units. Moreover, ₹3,565 crores has been proposed towards the installation of prepaid electricity metres throughout the state.

Tourism in Rajasthan was severely hit during the pandemic. Acknowledging the same, the Congress-led govt has proposed to allot Rs 1,000 crores towards the Tourism Development Fund, a step in the right direction to ensure the growth of the state.

The Congress party which has always been a flag bearer for women empowerment and development has once again advocated the cause by proposing a ‘work from home’ scheme to benefit 20,000 women in the coming year. In yet another major scheme, smartphones will be provided to 1 crore 33 lakh women, thus making substantive efforts to empower them.

In the education sector, this promising budget provides for 2,000 new Mahatma Gandhi English medium schools, 10,000 new teachers and 200 new primary schools in desert areas.

The Rajasthan government has already done an applaudable job in COVID management. Moving a step forward towards better healthcare, the annual budget increases the amount of the Chiranjivi health scheme from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 10 lakh, plus an accident cover up to Rs 5 lakh.

Along with the basic pillars of societal development, the budget also focuses on the welfare of serviced individuals with the promise of renewal of the old pension system and a 20% increase in contractual workers’ salaries.

Further, improvements in infrastructure and access to basic facilities are key components of this budget. New state highways and roads, drainage improvement, distribution of sanitary napkins and a new MSME policy—all are aimed to push Rajasthan to its glorious heights under the party's welfare government.

Rajasthan’s annual budget 2022-23 showcases Congress’s vision of working towards the betterment of society and of every stakeholder at large.