After a long time, State Budget devoid of cuts and freebies

Jaipur: After a long time, a budget has arrived in the state with no cuts in any item, and freebies were also not distributed under schemes or social security. As Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, Diya Kumari demonstrated astute political acumen, leaving no opportunity for Congress to criticize by maintaining continuity with schemes from the previous Gehlot government. The tradition of presenting a separate agriculture budget was continued from the Gehlot era. Following Uttar Pradesh’s example of good governance, policies such as ‘One district One product’ & ‘One District One Sport’ were implemented in Raj.

The budget incorporated BJP’s ideological stance with announcements for tourism development while promoting temples and culture. No provisions were made for minority institutions in this budget, marking perhaps the first time in Rajasthan’s history that institutions like Madrasas or the Waqf Board were not mentioned. The Finance Minister highlighted the introduction of new policies in various sectors, indicating significant upcoming changes in government operations.

The budget introduced a ‘green budget’ for ‘Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan,’ targeting Raj’s green transformation by 2028. Goals include expanding forest areas, establishing nurseries, and planting 7 cr saplings under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ drive, echoing PM Modi’s vision.

There were no announcements on Central Government’s items, breaking a five-year trend in State Budget speeches.