Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, on Tuesday presented a stormy budget. It was not just International Women’s Day but also Chief Minister’s birthday. The glow on CM’s face, when she was presenting the budget for 2016-2017, could clearly convey how happy she was. Not only was her demeanour inspiring, her budget was full of promising announcements for majority of Rajasthanis.
Based on the underlying theme “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” , this budget started on a promising note. Covereing all major sections of the society, it involved all attention seeking sectors and provided essential solutions for them. The ground work mainly was to alter the helter-skelter conditions left by the previous ruling party. Through untangling of knots, new propositions were announced. Let us look onto segment wise allocation and highlight major statistics of each.
It couldn’t be a better way to celebrate the prowess of female gender on 8th of March, than the way CM Raje did. Empowerment of womanhood was effective clearly through her budgetary announcements for females of Rajasthan. More than 1.5 lac females from the Aaganbadi to benefit with a 3 year improvement program of Rs 75 crore and 1.50 lac girls to be trained in self defense annually for next 3 years. Introduction of schemes like Garima Girl Child Protection Award, CM Shubha Mangla Yojana, and a new scheme for creche on PPP basis are some major women boosters. RAJIVIKA Programme which already employs 15000 women workers, has been planned to get an extension to further 100 new blocks that will provide greater help to 400000 women by the next year. Subsidies for women include extra aids on community marriages, on birth of girl child, increase in gift amount for widow remarriage upto Rs. 30000, among many others. Provision of Day Care Centers, hostels for girls and war widows are another few commendable steps taken in this path to empower women. Introduction of Raj Shri Yojana for girl child welfare is another laudable step taken by CM in her budget.
CM Raje understands that the young blood of the state can never be overlooked. We all know and realize the fact that they are our future. Her third budget focused on awarding the scholarly and motivating the hardworking youth population of the state. Sports talent of the state has been well provided with a new 500 capacity hostel in SMS stadium, Rs. 3.34 crore for 14 games of state level sports, direct recruitment in selected departments of the government for players who win medals in reputed International Games & Rs. 17.41 crore for construction and maintenance of various stadiums. With other such announcements, the academic arena received gifts like opening of 8 new colleges which will consume a fund of 104.50 crores and new undergraduate and postgraduate courses to be started in 13 and 11 colleges respectively. Along with this, WiFi facility in those colleges and establishment of Bikaner Technical University are two important points that were proposed. 2 new small business management and entrepreneurship centers are announced to be started in the education hub Kota and the capital city Jaipur. 10 cr 85 lakh worth of funds to be allotted for motivating youth towards startups. Employment segment for the youth is definitely not ignored. It is said to get a big push by 1 lakh recruitment processes currently going on.
Moving onto the bread providers – farmers ,of the state, Budget 2016-2017 has formulated many relief providing pathways for them. Monetary aids for them like Rs. 2471 crore relief for RABI-2015 hailstorm, Rs. 676.37 crore for new Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme, 5.90 crore for operationalizing 1170 Krishi Seva Kendras, Rs. 7205 crore as a subsidy to DISCOMs for subsidized power to farmers, and Rs. 2 crore one time grant for new self financed integrated courses of agriculture are potential path breakers in this sector. Animal husbandry sectors also got a focused attention with the New Bhamashah Animal Insurance Scheme and 1000 new animal husbandry health sub-centres with an amount of Rs. 2 crore for their repair. With this, more than Rs. 12 000 crore of new projects were announced in irrigation section to flourish our future food supplements. A great jal kranti is said to be witnessed under Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Yojana. A total of 931 Cr Rs have been used for the water planning scheme. Launching of 40000 new agricultural connections was announced and encouragement of 1000 rupees will be given to 10 progressive farmers from each district.
Tourism which is the heart and lifeline of Rajasthan is one section that asks for the most attention. Being the back bone of country’s largest state it has been allotted with these mentioned things. Airstrip development got Rs. 17.88 crore and destinations like Amer, Nahargarh, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall etc. received Rs. 22.60 crore. Rs 7 crore and 1.5 crore are allotted for Jawahar Kala Kendra and libraries respectively. Important temples have been funded with Rs 40 crore for their development and Rs. 10.80 crore for maintenance of new museum of records. Proper rehabilitation of historic destinations will be done with a fund of 2260000 cr. Nagar Van Yojna is to be implemented in the cities of Jaipur and Ajmer. With these improvements and the new Rajasthan Tourism ad campaign resonating the anthem “Maati Baandhe Painjanee, Bangdi Pehne Baadli, Dedo Dedo Baavdo, Ghod Mathodh Baavdi” CM Raje’s current year’s budget surely embraces the most important aspect of the state.
Various promises have been made for sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes of the state. Four times increase in mess allowance of SJED PPP Hostels with Rs. 7.98 crore for fulfilling their infrastructural gap has been proposed. 100 new Ma-Bari Kendra worth Rs. 3.14 crore, and with Kitchen sheds in 509 of them amounting to Rs 3.05 Crore is one significant step ahead to uplift the weaker society realms. For specially abled people Rs 4.13 crore are kept aside for construction of ramps and lifts in government offices.
Public has not been let down under this budget. Most of the regular government processes have been digitalized and online platforms have been provided for their easy implementations. Facility of online search, legalization and registration of documents are soon to be made available for Rajasthan public. 43,000 families are to be benefited under Bhamashah Health Insurance and along with this, 5000 Annapurnaa Bhandars are to be set up. General masses also get Rs. 23.22 crore for rest room, ramps, parking and toilets etc. at various sub-ordinate courts. Stamp duty to face a reduction in bank guarantees, land conservation and patta registrations.In 2016, 600 crore rupees will be invested in developing more than 2702 kms of roads in the state. Various goods have been exempted from taxes. Memory cards, matchsticks, leather shoes are to get cheaper. VAT on vehicles and plastic goods have been reduced. Luxury hotel stays get expensive. Semi stitched garments also are expected to get expensive. Cigarettes get expensive by 15% increment in VAT. Unlike these, electronic goods, solar lamps, food, drinks, threads are now cheaper. Goods produced in jails would be exempted from VAT.
Business community has been offered an easier way to operate. Information regarding verification of dealers search, payment, PAN, Forms & Certificates and status of all types of applications will be available to dealers on a mobile app. Facility of online appeal and refund under Entry Tax, Luxury Tax and Entertainment tax has been proposed with unified appeal form. Dealers are allowed with an exercising option and stamp duty has been reduced on conversion of partnership and company into LLP.
The budget is a reflection of how deeply the needs of the state were studied. we can see how much work has been done in various development sectors considering the theme ‘Delivering Dreams – Fulfilling Promises’. Hopes have been taken care of and aspirations are fulfilled. These were the major highlights of Rajasthan Budget 2016-2017 and it would be interesting to see how this proposed road-map will come into action.
