Rajasthan Budget: Free power upto 50 units; Gehlot announces urban job guarantee scheme

Rajasthan is the fourth state to launch a scheme to address unemployment in urban areas, after Odisha, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Additionally, Gehlot announced an increase of man-days under MGNREGA from 100 to 125 days, at a cost of Rs 750 crore to the state exchequer. In a first, all agriculture heads were clubbed together and presented separately as ‘Agriculture Budget’ — seen as a move to tap into the unrest among farmers.

Gehlot also announced a three-month bridge course for schoolchildren to compensate for loss of academic activities during Covid. A provision of Rs 75 crore has been made for this. While up to 50 units of electricity will be free for domestic users consuming up to 100 units per month, additional relief under various slabs will be provided at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore.

Another key announcement is the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state government employees appointed after January 1, 2004. Gehlot said the contributory pension announced under the National Pension Scheme for those joining after this date had led to insecurity among government employees. “We want them to feel secure so that they can contribute towards good governance,” he said.

He also announced Seventh Pay Commission benefits for various departments including Roadways and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. A 20 per cent increase in honorarium/ allowances for elected representatives of urban bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions was also announced.

Among other populist schemes, Gehlot announced a cellphone for women heads of 1.33 crore families under the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana, with internet connectivity for three years.

Gehlot said the tourism and hospitality sector has been accorded the status of industry, thereby fulfilling a demand pending for years. This will lead to imposition of government tariffs and levies as per industrial norms, costing the state about Rs 700 crore annually.

He said no new tax was being proposed since the economy was yet to recover fully, and announced reduction/ rebate in various duties.

Apart from agriculture, the health sector was a major focus of the Budget. Gehlot increased the insurance amount under Chiranjeevi Yojana from Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh per family annually, and announced the inclusion of additional free services for cochlear implant, bone marrow transplant, organ transplant, bone cancer, etc.

Additionally, district collectors have been authorised to direct free treatment for needy families in the absence of the Chiranjeevi card. Next, cashless and free outdoor and indoor services will be provided at all government medical institutions. A free accident cover of up to Rs 5 lakh has also been announced for families under the Chiranjeevi scheme.

On education, Gehlot said that compared to 2018, the enrolment of children in the age group of 6-14 years in government schools has increased by about 20 per cent in 2021. Hence, “all 3,820 secondary schools will be upgraded to senior secondary schools.” Second, a thousand English medium schools will be opened in urban and rural areas each. And to fill the new positions, as many as 10,000 English medium teachers will be hired. For children in far-flung areas, 200 primary schools will be opened in desert districts, while 36 women colleges will be opened in 19 districts.

Gehlot said the state government has provided employment to over 1 lakh people while recruitment for additional 1.25 lakh posts is underway, and a lakh more are to be recruited in the next year. This, he said, is better than 2 lakh jobs provided by the previous BJP government in its five years.

He also announced the development of a 250-room Nehru Youth Transit Hostel and Facilitation Centre at Udaipur House in New Delhi, where youth from economically weaker sections can stay for coaching classes etc.

Gehlot announced a work from home scheme for women — the government aims to extend benefits to 20,000 women. A provision of Rs 100 crore has been made for this, although Gehlot did not elaborate on the details of the scheme.

With the REET paper leak embarrassing the government, Gehlot said REET will be conducted in July 2022, and the number of vacancies have been increased from 32,000 to 62,000. Additionally, an anti-cheating cell will be constituted within the Special Operations Group to prevent irregularities in entrance examinations.

Gehlot announced the establishment of 32 new industrial areas. To ensure security at industrial units, he announced a Rajasthan Industrial Security Force (RISF), along the lines of the CISF, for which the government plans to recruit 2,000 personnel.

The CM said his government will table a Bill on utilisation of funds for SCs and STs. Also, the development fund for SCs and STs has been increased from Rs 100 crore each to Rs 500 crore each. A new fund for the EWS section has also been created with Rs 100 crore.

Gehlot also announced a rehabilitation policy for homeless persons, where the government will conduct surveys and rehabilitate the destitute. A provision of Rs 50 crore has been made for this. Another scheme for rehabilitation of working women, elderly, etc. has been planned, wherein rehabilitation homes will be established at a cost of Rs 90 crore.

He also announced major repair works on three prominent roads in each district at a total cost of Rs 3,133 crore, and conversion of 1,000 kilometres of state highway to two-lane at Rs 1,200 crore.

Among other announcements are a tourism development fund of Rs 1,000 crore, a Rajasthan Guaranteed Service Delivery and Accountability Act, which will contain elements of Right to Hearing Act and Guaranteed Delivery of Public Services Act, a Sambhar Lake Management Project for development and conservation and development of the lake, roping in homeguards for “logistical” work at government offices which would create an additional 10,000 posts for homeguards.

In a post-Budget press conference, Gehlot said every section of society has been covered.

“The basis of the Budget is not policy, but politics,” said former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. State BJP president Satish Poonia said the Budget announcements make it seem “as if the elections are to be held tomorrow.”