Rajasthan Assembly passes state budget for 2024-25

Jaipur: The Rajasthan legislative assembly passed the state budget on Monday with Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma announcing a Rs 2 crore concessional rate loan for the youth to set up industries, reservation to Agniveers in police, forest guards and jail guards.

The announcement includes providing LPG cylinders to all the beneficiary families of National Food Security Act (NFSA) at Rs 450.

The Chief Minister also relaxed the eligibility norms to appear in the Common Entrance Test for state government services. The budget also approved buying 1,000 electric buses, Rs 750 crore for setting up Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences on the lines of AIIMS and a yearly hike in salary and allowances and pension of MLAs.

He was replying to the Appropriation Bill-2024 and Finance Bill-2024 in the Rajasthan Assembly on Monday, which were later passed in the House by voice vote.

The House was adjourned till Tuesday.

While making the announcements, the Chief Minister said that the villages with a population of more than 10,000 will be connected to Atal Pragati Path. He announced to make Bikaner and Bharatpur UIT -- a development authority.

Along with this, a new plan has been announced for the beautification of the Dravyavati river in Jaipur.

The Chief Minister said, "We do what we say. We have announced 1 lakh recruitments and we will fulfill it. Unlike the Congress, we do not make announcements in the air." Sharma also criticised the previous Congress government in the state for its policies and "financial indiscipline".

He said that in order to provide more opportunities to the youth of the state in government recruitments, he proposes changes in the provisions of Common Eligibility Test (CET) and a minimum of 40 per cent marks for all categories and 35 per cent marks for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for 'qualification' will be required.

He said that to provide support to women of needy families, state government is providing LPG cylinders at Rs 450 to the families of 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' and BPL category.

The Chief Minister said, "By expanding the scope of this scheme, which has been possible due to the initiative of the Prime Minister, I announce to provide LPG cylinders at Rs 450 to all the families receiving wheat ration, i.e. the beneficiaries of NFSA.".

Announcing the provision of automatic annual increase in the salary of MLAs, he said, "Many present and former MLAs have brought problems and suggestions related to salary and pension before me. In this sequence, I announce the provision of automatic increase every year in the salary and pension received by the MLAs." He said, "To ensure the future of Agniveer youth, arrangements have also been made for their appointment in the Central Armed Forces. On the same lines, I announce the provision of giving appointment to Agniveer youth in Police, RAC, Jail Prahari and Forest Guard in the state." The Chief Minister said that this year's budget is for all the needy sections of society. He said that the state government is moving forward with the vision of 'Developed Rajasthan-2047'.

He said, "This budget of our government with the thinking of 'Sarvajan Hitaay' is for all sections of the society including youth, farmers, labourers, women, poor, helpless, neglected and the person standing in the last row who needs the schemes of the government." The state's Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Diya Kumari presented the budget in the Assembly on July 10.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully described the budget as directionless, disappointing and full of hollow claims. He said, "This budget is directionless, disappointing, full of hollow claims and will take the state backward. I and my entire opposition, our party, strongly condemns it."