Rajasthan 2021-22 budget: No new taxes, to focus on agriculture, health

Rajasthan 2021-22 budget: No new taxes, to focus on agriculture, health

Gehlot, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced that each family in the state will get insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and cashless treatment

Urvashi Dev Updated: Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 09:29 PM IST
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Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot | File Image

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday presented the state budget for 2021-22 with a focus on health and agriculture. Presenting the state’s first paperless budget in the state assembly, Gehlot announced a Rs 3,500 crore universal healthcare scheme.

Gehlot, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced that each family in the state will get insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and cashless treatment.

In a strategic move, Gehlot announced setting up of colleges in the four constituencies where by-polls are due to be held. The CM said the colleges will be opened in the name of the four deceased leaders.

From next year, a separate agriculture budget will be presented. He said. The government will give interest free loans worth Rs16,000 crore to farmers. A separate power company will be formed for providing electricity to farmers. He also announced a Chief Minister Krishak Saathi scheme under which 1.2 lakh farmers will be given sprinklers free.

The BJP termed the budget a “cut, copy, paste exercise” with no blueprint and no roadmap for the future.

State BJP president Satish Poonia said the budget had not fulfilled the expectations of people.

“The chief minister referred again and again to the coronavirus crisis that gripped the state last year. But the pandemic has affected the country and the entire world and not Rajasthan alone. The CM did not elaborate on what the government has done during the pandemic. He only made empty announcements,” said Poonia.

“The CM should have announced a cut in the VAT rates on petrol and diesel to provide relief to people but he did not do so,” said Poonia.

However, Gehlot, who was presenting his third budget, did not announce any new taxes in the budget. In fact, he gave relief of Rs910 crore under various heads.

In his 2 hour 47 minute long speech, Gehlot said efforts have been made to take every section of society together. “Corona has affected the economy so efforts will be made to gather financial resources,” he said.

To promote medical tourism, medical tourism centres will be established in the state in PPP mode. Gehlot said nursing colleges will be opened in 25 districts of the state.

The CM announced a 10 percent cut in the DLC rates. The stamp duty on flats up to Rs 50 lakh has been reduced from 6 percent to 4 percent.

Gehlot said Rs 1600 crore would be released towards the salary of government employees that was stopped during the coronavirus crisis.

The government plans to create 50,000 jobs for youth in the next two years. Gehlot also announced that 200 days work will be provided under MGNREGS instead of 100 days at present.

A film promotion policy will be formulated. Rajasthani films will get Rs 25 lakh financial aid and will be 100 percent exempt from GST.

In the education sector, Gehlot said that 50 new government schools would be established and 1,200 Mahatma Gandhi schools will be set-up.

Chhaya Pachauli of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said the announcement by the CM to bring a Right to Health Bill is welcome but he has neither made any budget provision for it nor has he suggested any timeline for its launch.

She said the public health insurance scheme that will be expanded to cover the entire population of the state next year onwards is also welcome but we will have to wait to see when this actually happens.

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