The state’s full budget, with an outlay of Rs 4.95 lakh crore for FY25, was presented by Rajasthan’s Finance Minister Diya Kumari on Wednesday. Among the announcements were the creation of nine Greenfield expressways, the hiring of four lakh new jobs in five years, and a reduction in the value added tax on CNG and cooking gas from 14.5% to 10%.
The minister suggested allocating Rs 27,000 crore to the health sector and Rs 15,000 crore to the state’s 25 million rural households in order to provide tap water. She also declared that public restrooms for women will be built.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections on February 8, Kumari had presented a Vote on Account (Interim Budget) in the state legislature. The budget, which called for spending Rs 1.75 lakh crore for the first four months of the financial year 2024–25, was approved.
The BJP government led by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma took office in December of last year.
The government has projected revenue receipts of Rs 2.64 lakh crore, revenue expenditures of Rs 2.90 lakh crore, and revenue shortfall of Rs 25,258 crore for the entire budget for the fiscal year 2024–25.
Simultaneously, the expected budget deficit is 3.93 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
Kumari unveiled a number of policies, covering warehousing and logistics, sports, youth, industries, tourism, data centers, and clothing and apparel.
The budget also called for the creation of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Board, the provision of Rs 100 crore for a corridor at the Khatu Shyam temple, and the connection of electricity to 2 lakh families.
It has established a target of 7 crore plantations and a “green budget” for the upcoming budget by incorporating the concept of “green growth” into a number of development schemes. Additionally, it has announced the Rajasthan Krishi Vikas Yojna, proposed special programs for 600 temples on different festivals, and established a defense manufacturing hub.
The minister stated that the state government has established ten resolutions with the aim of creating an inclusive development goal and a “developed Rajasthan by 2047”.
Among other things, these resolutions call for the state to become an economy of USD 350 billion, as well as to promote tourism, the arts and culture, industry development and investment, infrastructure development, and farmer welfare.
The minister announced that this year, a detailed project report (DPR) of Rs 30 crore will be created, and that nine greenfield expressways totaling more than 2,750 kilometers will be built in the state in a staged manner for the first time.
The expressways will be Jaipur-Kishangarh-Ajmer-Jodhpur, Kotputli-Kishangarh, Jaipur-Bhilwara, Bikaner-Kotputli, Beawar-Bharatpur, Jalore-Jhalawar, Ajmer-Banswara, jaipur-Phalodi and Shri Ganganagar-Kotputli.
As part of efforts towards women empowerment, the state budget has announced construction of bio/pink toilet complex for women at public places in all urban areas of the state in a phased manner, distribution of free tablets with internet to meritorious school students.
The minister also said that the state has taken steps to curb paper leak incidents that happened in the previous government, adding that action has been taken against the mafia and more than 100 arrests have been made.
In the tourism sector, the minister proposed various works with an outlay of Rs 200 crore at 20 major tourist places, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Pushakar.
