Rajasthan Budget 2022: Special focus on employment, healthcare; old pension scheme brought back | Key takeaways

This is the first time the Gehlot government is presenting the agriculture budget separately. At the same time, the old pension scheme has been brought back.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday presented his fourth budget for the year 2022-23 in the Rajasthan Assembly in the capital city of Jaipur, with a special focus on employment and healthcare this time, and reintroduced the old pension scheme in the state.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot. (PTI) (HT_PRINT)

The state budget this time is particularly important because for the first time, the Gehlot government is presenting the agriculture budget separately.

"It is my privilege that I am presenting the first separate agriculture budget. It will set a new horizon in the agriculture sector in the state," Gehlot said.

Here are some of the major takeaways:

• The Rajasthan government has announced the implementation of the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme. An 800 crore budget has been proposed for the scheme that will provide 100 days of employment in urban areas on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
• Gehlot also said that the employment will be extended to 125 days in MGNREGA instead of 100 days. The state government will bear the expenditure of ₹700 crore, he said.
• Under the state government's ambitious Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme launched last year, Gehlot has announced an increase in health cover from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh per family in a year. He also announced that IPD and OPD services will be free-of-cost in state-run hospitals.
• “Like always, we have taken care of every section of the society in the budget. Management of the corona crisis in the state has been appreciated across the world,” the chief minister said.
• An allocation of ₹5,000 crore for CM Krishak Saathi Yojna, has been announced this year, as opposed to ₹2,000 crore in the last budget. The government will also open new agriculture colleges in the state, while ₹600 crore is being allocated for organic farming.
• The budget for this year also proposed ₹2,700 crore for the Rajasthan Micro Irrigation Mission, under which 5 lakh farmers will be benefitted.
• Special focus is being given on the tourism and hospitality sector which will now be recognised as a separate industry in the state.
• Gehlot further said that the government will bring in an act to regulate online gaming in Rajasthan.
• The government also announced ₹500 crore for SC-ST Development Fund and allocated ₹100 crore for EWS families.
• Additionally, the government announced 50 units free electricity for consumers using up to 100 units, ₹3/per unit grant for all domestic consumers up to 150 units and ₹2/unit grant for consumers of 150 to 300 units and above as per the slab. The state government will spend ₹4,500 crore for the same.

With Agency inputs