Rajasthan Budget: Agniveers Reservation, Youth Loans & More

Jaipur, Jul 29 (PTI) The Rajasthan legislative assembly passed the state budget on Monday with Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma announcing Rs 2 crore concessional rate loan for the youth to set up industries, reservation to Agniveers in police, forest guards and jail guards.

The Chief Minister also relaxed the eligibility norms to appear in the Common Entrance Test for state government services. The budget also approved buying 1,000 electric buses, Rs 750 crore for setting up Rajasthan Institute of Medical Sciences on the lines of AIIMS and a yearly hike in salary and allowances and pension of MLAs.

He was replying to the Appropriation Bill-2024 and Finance Bill-2024 in the Rajasthan Assembly on Monday, which were later passed in the House by voice vote.

The House was adjourned till Tuesday.

While making the announcements, the Chief Minister said that the villages with a population of more than 10,000 will be connected to Atal Pragati Path. He announced to make Bikaner and Bharatpur UIT -- a development authority. Along with this, a new plan has been announced for the beautification of the Dravyavati river in Jaipur.

The Chief Minister said, "We do what we say. We have announced 1 lakh recruitments and we will fulfill it. Unlike the Congress, we do not make announcements in the air."

Sharma also criticised the previous Congress government in the state for its policies and "financial indiscipline".

The Chief Minister said that this year's budget is for all the needy sections of the society. He said that the state government is moving forward with the vision of 'Developed Rajasthan-2047'.

He said, "this budget of our government with the thinking of 'Sarvajan Hitaay' is for all sections of the society including youth, farmers, labourers, women, poor, helpless, neglected and the person standing in the last row who needs the schemes of the government."

The state's Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Diya Kumari presented the budget with the goal of inclusive development for the financial year 2024-25 in the Assembly on July 10.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully described the budget as directionless, disappointing and full of hollow claims.

He said, "this budget is directionless, disappointing, full of hollow claims and will take the state backward. I and my entire opposition, our party, strongly condemn it.