Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who also holds the Finance portfolio, expanded several welfare schemes besides unveiling a package aimed at softening the impact of sustained inflation in the fifth consecutive Rajasthan budget to have no new lax levies.
The inflation relief package worth ₹19,000 crore includes the supply of free food packets every month to poor families, LPG cylinders at ₹500 each to the below poverty line families and the Prime Minister’s Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries, free electricity up to 100 units per month to 1.19 crore domestic consumers, and continuation of VAT concession on fuel.
Farmers consuming less than 2,000 units per month will also get free electricity. Among other steps announced for farmers’ welfare, the State government will spend ₹1,000 crore on interest subsidy for crop loans, complete the restructuring of irrigation with an expenditure of ₹3,600 crore and bring the Farmers’ Debt Relief Act for the benefit of small and marginal farmers and landless labourers.
The 2023-24 budget proposes an increase in the coverage amount of Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme from the existing ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh per family annually. Mr. Gehlot later told reporters that it was a “revolutionary step”, not witnessed even in the foreign countries, which must be emulated by the Centre and other States.
Noisy scenes in House
The Assembly earlier witnessed noisy scenes when Mr. Gehlot read out excerpts of the previous year’s budget, apparently because one of the pages of the document copied the old text. As the Chief Minister made the first two announcements which had featured in the 2022-23 budget, the Opposition BJP members created a ruckus and trooped to the well of the House.
Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria alleged that the budget had been leaked, as someone from the officers’ gallery had pointed out the mistake to interrupt Mr. Gehlot during his speech. After adjourning the House twice amid the din, Speaker C.P. Joshi rejected the Opposition’s demand to fix a new date for the presentation of budget and asked Mr. Gehlot to proceed with it.
The Chief Minister announced the establishment of a welfare fund of ₹200 crore for gig workers and said no entrance fee would be charged from the candidates appearing in the competitive exams for government jobs after completing a one-time registration. Besides, the children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic will get government jobs after they attain the age of majority.
The food packets to be distributed to about 1 crore families registered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) will comprise one kg each of pulses, sugar and salt and one litre of edible oil, besides the spices used for cooking. Mr. Gehlot said the State government would spend ₹3,000 crore on this.
In continuation of the amnesty schemes of the previous two years for industries, the scheme for 2023 will provide more relief and benefits till September 30. Relief up to 60% will be given on the outstanding demand related to stamp duty along with 100% exemption on tax and penalty on the basis of the time slabs, according to the budgetary provisions.
Mr. Gehlot later said at a press conference that the BJP MLAs had disrupted his budget speech because they were opposed to the ruling Congress’s welfare measures. “BJP knows that the price rise is its own gift to the people. It will never want that my government should extend any kind of relief to the poor and destitute people,” he said.
Reacting to the budget, BJP State president Satish Poonia said it was meant to “mislead the people”, as it was doubtful if its announcements would really be implemented in full. He said about half of the 2,722 schemes announced by the Congress government during the last four years had not been completed.
