Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot announces urban job guarantee scheme

Announcing the Indira Gandhi Shehri Rozgar Guarantee Yojana for urban areas, along the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Gehlot said Covid has impacted the livelihood of the common man. “While MGNREGA assisted people in rural areas, there is no such scheme for street vendors as well as those working at dhabas and restaurants in urban areas,” he said. Under this scheme, employment will be provided for up to a hundred days in a year, and the state government will bear an additional expense of Rs 800 crore on this. However, Gehlot did not elaborate on how the scheme will be implemented.

Rajasthan is the fourth state to launch a scheme to address unemployment in urban areas, after Odisha, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Additionally, Gehlot announced an increase of man-days under MGNREGA from 100 to 125 days, at a cost of Rs 750 crore to the state exchequer. In a first, all agriculture heads were clubbed together and presented separately as ‘Agriculture Budget’ — seen as a move to tap into the unrest among farmers.

Gehlot also announced a three-month bridge course for schoolchildren to compensate for loss of academic activities during Covid. A provision of Rs 75 crore has been made for this. While up to 50 units of electricity will be free for domestic users consuming up to 100 units per month, additional relief under various slabs will be provided at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore.

Another key announcement is the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state government employees appointed after January 1, 2004. Gehlot said the contributory pension announced under the National Pension Scheme for those joining after this date had led to insecurity among government employees. “We want them to feel secure so that they can contribute towards good governance,” he said.

He also announced Seventh Pay Commission benefits for various departments including Roadways and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. A 20 per cent increase in honorarium/ allowances for elected representatives of urban bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions was also announced.

Among other populist schemes, Gehlot announced a cellphone for women heads of 1.33 crore families under the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana, with internet connectivity for three years.

Gehlot said the tourism and hospitality sector has been accorded the status of industry, thereby fulfilling a demand pending for years. This will lead to imposition of government tariffs and levies as per industrial norms, costing the state about Rs 700 crore annually.

He said no new tax was being proposed since the economy was yet to recover fully, and announced reduction/ rebate in various duties.

Apart from agriculture, the health sector was a major focus of the Budget. Gehlot increased the insurance amount under Chiranjeevi Yojana from Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh per family annually, and announced the inclusion of additional free services for cochlear implant, bone marrow transplant, organ transplant, bone cancer, etc.

Additionally, district collectors have been authorised to direct free treatment for needy families in the absence of the Chiranjeevi card. Next, cashless and free outdoor and indoor services will be provided at all government medical institutions. A free accident cover of up to Rs 5 lakh has also been announced for families under the Chiranjeevi scheme.

On education, Gehlot said that compared to 2018, the enrolment of children in the age group of 6-14 years in government schools has increased by about 20 per cent in 2021. Hence, “all 3,820 secondary schools will be upgraded to senior secondary schools.” Second, a thousand English medium schools will be opened in urban and rural areas each. And to fill the new positions, as many as 10,000 English medium teachers will be hired. For children in far-flung areas, 200 primary schools will be opened in desert districts, while 36 women colleges will be opened in 19 districts.

Gehlot announced a work from home scheme for women — the government aims to extend benefits to 20,000 women. A provision of Rs 100 crore has been made for this, although Gehlot did not elaborate on the details of the scheme.

He also announced the establishment of 32 new industrial areas. To ensure security at industrial units, he announced a Rajasthan Industrial Security Force (RISF), along the lines of the CISF, for which the government plans to recruit 2,000 personnel.

In a post-Budget press conference, Gehlot said every section of society has been covered.

“The basis of the Budget is not policy, but politics,” said former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. State BJP president Satish Poonia said the Budget announcements make it seem “as if the elections are to be held tomorrow.”