Rajasthan Budget 2023: CM Gehlot presses on education, farmers, and development

Jaipur: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot presented the last Budget of his current tenure in office on Friday. Being an election year Budget, fiscal prudence and capital expenditure is taking a back seat and populist measures are the main theme. The CM focused prominently  on youth in the Budget which was telecasted live to gram panchayats across the State. About 40 lakh people participated in the live telecast at about 14,400 places. Here are some highlights from the Rajasthan budget:

• Indira Gandhi Urban Employment scheme proposed for Urban areas with a budget proposal of Rs 80 Crore

• The city’ sewerage network is likely to get an allocation of Rs 500 Crore as demanded by the civic body. The government may approve funds for the entire stretch of Line 1 of the Jaipur Metro. Officials also expect some announcements for Metro's Line 2, considered the most important stretch of the network

• Announcement to give LPG to 76 lakh families at Rs 500 in the coming year under Ujjwala scheme

• Food packets free of cost for beneficiaries of NFSA, Rs 3000 Crore will be spent on this

• Free power limit extended from 50 units to 100 units

• Special Task Force to be formed under the SOG to prevent and probe question paper leaks

• Establishment of development fund of Rs 500 Crore under the New Youth Policy, Rs 200 Crore to be spent on skill development, Rs 100 Crore on related development, Rs 200 Crore scholarship

• Rs 50 Crore for Rajasthan Staff Selection Commission, Board

• 30,000 youngsters to get employment, 100 job fairs to be organised coming year

• Instead of 15,000, now 30,000 students to get benefit of CM Anuprati Coaching Scheme

• Vivekananda Youth Hostel to be opened up at district headquarters at a cost of 75 Cr

• Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for academic excellence extended from 200 to 500 beneficiaries

• Rajiv Gandhi Aviation University to come up in Jaipur

• Under Mukhyamantri Laghu Udyog Protsahan Yojana, 10 and 15 percent of fund to be given to male and female entrepreneurs respectively aged 18 to 35 years

• Under Vishwakarma Kamgar Kalyan Yojana, a grant of Rs 5,000 will be given to at least a lakh of beneficiaries 

• Free Scooty to meritorious students extended from 20,000 to 30, 000. RTE scheme extended from Class 8 to Class 12 for boys

• One the lines of NTSE, the state will hold Rajasthan Talent Search Examination

• 1,000 more Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Schools to be established 

• Rajasthan Budget allocates Rs 150 Crore Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Olympiad

• Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana cap extended from Rs 10 Lakh to Rs 25 Lakh 

• Accidental insurance compensation increased from Rs 5 Lakh to Rs 10 Lakh under Chiranjeevi Yojna

• Jaipur, Kota and Jodhpur to have psychological centers

• Centre for post covid rehabilitation at RUHS

• Economically weaker sections to be covered for free under Chiranjeevi Yojna. Praptapgarh, Jalore and Nagaur to have medical Colleges

• Food Safety and Drug Controller office to be set up in every district

• Mukhya Mantri Corona Sahayta: Children orphaned due to Covid to get government jobs

• All five city transport corporations in the state to be merged as Rajasthan City Transport Corporations Limited

• Government to spend Rs 75 Crore to set up 50 battery charging units in the state for electric vehicles

• Rs 100 Crore to reduce noise pollution in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh

• 20,000 elderlies to go for Teerth Yatra in 2023-24

• Mahatma Gandhi Sewa Prerak to promote the idea of peace and harmony

• Bar Council of Rajasthan to get the assistance of Rs 5 Crore

• Employees of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, universities and institutions set up after January 1, 2004, to be brought under Old pension scheme

• Media center to be set up in Jaipur, journalists to get laptops and tablets

• 2000 units of free electricity for farmers

• 5% loan subsidy to farmers on housing loans

• Rs 75 Crore for development of Narmada project

• Rs 435 Crore for the development of canal system in Kota and Baran

• Rs 500 Crore for development of Rajasthan Feeder and Sarhind Feeder

• Interest-free loans of Rs 3000 Crore to be given to farmers from cooperative banks

• Women to pay only half the fare in state roadways buses
   
• No new tax in the budget