Balanced budget has accepted Rajasthan Govt proposals, says State CM; Opposition complains of neglect

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. File
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday (February 1, 2025) said the 2025-26 Union Budget had presented a proper balance of economic development, social inclusion and environment protection, while taking important steps towards realising the vision of a developed India. Mr. Sharma watched the live telecast of the Budget at his official residence here.

However, the Opposition Congress criticised the Budget, saying it had neglected key projects in the State and ignored issues such as water scarcity, unemployment and the agrarian crisis. Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said Rajasthan had once again been discriminated against and it was not even mentioned in the Budget.

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Mr. Sharma said the Budget had laid the roadmap for a “balanced development”, while the middle class had received a major relief through income tax concessions. Farmers were given economic support and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector had been strengthened through credit boost, he said.

“The Rajasthan government had submitted proposals for extending the duration of Jal Jeevan Mission, giving special assistance for power sector reforms and providing interest-free loan to the State for capital investment, which have been approved in the Union Budget,” Mr. Sharma said.

PCC chief Mr. Dotasra slammed the Budget, calling it was “unfair to Rajasthan”. He said no announcement was made to declare the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) a national project, and there was no mention of minimum support prices (MSP) for the agricultural produce. He said the Budget was mainly focused on poll-bound States like Bihar and had ignored the issues of poverty and inflation.

Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Tika Ram Jully said the BJP government, which had promised to double the farmers’ income by 2022, had increased the Kisan Credit Card limit to increase their debt burden. “Just as a budgetary announcement has been made to promote Makhana in Bihar, a similar announcement could have been made for procurement of Rajasthan’s major crop, millet, on MSP, which was not done,” Mr. Jully said.