Jaipur: In his last budget before the elections later this year, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the budget was “not presented keeping the elections in mind” and chose to go with the “subject of social security”.
Gehlot, who also holds the finance portfolio, announced populist schemes while presenting the 2023-24 budget in the state assembly on Friday, including a massive hike in the state’s health insurance scheme, free education for all up to 12, among others.th Standards, more ‘Vedic schools’ and 2,000 units of electricity free for farmers.
As part of Rs 19,000 crore inflation relief package, CM announced LPG cylinder at Rs 500 under PM Ujjwala Yojana, covering around 76 lakh families, free electricity up to 100 units monthly for consumers, free to poor food packets. Additionally, the CM proposed to increase the insurance cover from the existing Rs 10 lakh per family to Rs 25 lakh under the Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana, the state’s ambitious health insurance scheme.
The cattle rearers will get Rs 40,000 for each livestock dying of lumpy skin disease and an additional Rs 50,000 per cattle for insurance.
With a special focus on youth, a fund of Rs 250 crore was allocated for youth-led start-ups. The Rajiv Gandhi National Youth Exchange Program was also created to send meritorious students on exchange programs to various states across the country. A talent search test has also been promised through which scholarships will be given to 10,000 students.
The old pension scheme adopted by the government last year has been proposed to be extended to employees of public sector units (PSUs), state universities and all state boards.
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‘Neither election budget, nor anti-incumbency wave’
Talking to reporters at his residence after his three-hour budget speech, Gehlot, however, refused to link the budget with the upcoming elections.
“Our last budget was the same [to last year’s budget in terms of social security schemes], then the public will understand it. The idea, Gehlot said, is to guarantee universal rights, such as those brought by laws during the Manmohan Singh era, such as the right to education, the right to information.
“Last year, we planned free medicine distribution and free operation [medical] testing. At that time also it was said that this was done keeping the elections in mind. This was wrong.
He said that 90 per cent of the budget promises made last year have been implemented and according to the GDP growth rate, his state is second only to Andhra Pradesh.
Gehlot pointed out how the state’s flagship Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme is different from the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat, pointing out that unlike the latter, beneficiaries do not need an insurance card to avail benefits under Chiranjeevi.
For the third time, the chief minister’s budget speech began with a lapse as he read out two pages from last year’s budget before being stopped by the opposition. Amidst calls from the opposition to stall the budget session and reconvene it for another day, the CM apologized and resumed his speech after the session was adjourned twice in the first hour.
He later told reporters, “It’s a human error.”
Talking about the paper leak scandal, for which his government was criticized recently, he said a special task force would be set up to probe the incidents.
“We have passed a law (about this) in the assembly. And I don’t understand what is happening with these paper leaks. This is happening in many states. This has happened in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand and some other places.
Gehlot, however, remained tight-lipped about the Adani question and that of his party colleague Sachin Pilot. When pointed out that Pilot left the assembly several times during his budget speech, Gehlot said the focus was now “only on governance”.
“Elections are coming so all eyes are on the elections as well. We are confident that we will be able to change the state’s tradition of electing alternative governments. As you will see if you talk about the state, the anti-incumbency factor that comes after four years of government has not really set in at this point of time.
(Editing by Anumeha Saxena)
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