New taxes, free electricity, jobs: CM Gehlot presents populist budget in assembly

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A few months ahead of the assembly elections, chief minister Ashok Gehlot presented a populist budget with no new taxes and bumper announcements in Rajasthan Assembly on Friday. In the budget, the CM announced an inflation relief package of 19,000 crore to provide relief to the masses from rising prices.

While presenting the budget, the CM touched upon all the sections of society but refused to call it an election-bound budget. “This is not an election-bound budget. We have been presenting this kind of budget for the last four years. My target is the 2028 election,” said Gehlot.

The package includes free food packets every month to poor families, LPG cylinders for 500 under the Ujjwala Scheme and free electricity up to 100 units per month to domestic consumers and free electricity to more than 11 lakh farmers.

Also Read: Rajasthan Budget: Gehlot reads old budget for seven minutes, Oppn claims leak

Working on the directions of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot announced an act and welfare board for gig workers working in app-based companies such as Ola, Uber, and Zomato.

“The ambit of the gig economy is continuously increasing across the globe, including in Rajasthan. Their number is around 3-4 lakhs, but there is no social security for these gig workers by the companies, the chief minister said.

He added, “To support these workers and protect them from exploitation, we are bringing Gig Workers Welfare Act. Under this, a welfare board will be set up and a welfare and development fund of 200 crore will be formed.”

Despite being criticized for bringing back the ‘Old Pension Scheme’ for government employees, Gehlot extended the benefits of the scheme to more than one lakh employees of government companies, boards, corporations, academies and universities.

“No new tax has been imposed in the last four budgets and reliefs were given,” he said.

He announced to increase in the coverage amount from 10 lakh to 25 lakh annually per family in his ambitious Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana.

Further, he announced giving ‘CM Annapurna food packets’ every month for free along with free rations to about one crore families coming under the purview of the National Food Security Act. “The packet will include 1kg pulses, sugar, salt and 1 litre edible oil will be made available. About 3,000 crore will be spent on this,” he added.

The CM said around 76 lakh families included in the below poverty line (BPL) and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will get LPG cylinders for 500 from the next financial year, on which 1,500 crore will be spent.

He announced further that domestic consumers will be given 100 units of electricity free of cost per month under the ‘Chief Minister’s Electricity Free Scheme’. This limit was 50 units last year. With this, more than 1.04 crore families in the state will be able to get domestic electricity free of cost. “The state will incur a burden of 7,000 crore on this,” Gehlot said.

The CM also announced government jobs for children orphaned due to Corona epidemic on attaining adulthood. “During the pandemic, the state government provided help to the widows and orphan children under Mukhyamantri Corona Sahayta Yojna, where these children were financial assistance of Rs1 lakh and 2500 per month till they attain the age of 18 years, thereafter they will be given 5 lakh,” Gehlot said.

Also Read: Gehlot announces LPG cylinders at 500, Gig Workers Act in Budget

Under the ‘Mahatma Gandhi Minimum Guaranteed Income Scheme’, he said families will get guaranteed employment for 125 days per year and in the case of elderly/disabled/single women, a minimum pension of 1000 per month will be provided, the CM said.

Other announcements in the budget included, one-time registration fees for all state recruitment exams, at an expenditure of 200 crore; 27 new government colleges and 20 new girls colleges; 30,000 scooters to young girls under Kalibai Bheel Medhavi Chatra Scooty Yojana 2023; Free education from class I to XII under RTE Act; Milk to the children every day under Mid-Day-Meal scheme.

In the agriculture sector for which a separate budget was presented by the CM he announced, Krishak Kalyan Kosh’s amount to be increased from 5,000 crore to 7,500 crore, further, economic assistance per cow on account of lumpy death of 40,000, subsidy to 50,000 farmers for construction of farm ponds, subsidy to 40,000 farmers for 16,000 km pipelines, 1000 crore subsidy to 60,000 farmers for establishment greenhouse/shed net/ low tunnel/plastic mulching and free vegetable seed mini kits to 20 lakh farmers.

The chief minister also announced seven new Agriculture Colleges and Horticulture Colleges at Dugrapura-Jaipur and interest-free crop loans amounting to 22,000 crore to be distributed.


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