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.

Jaipur:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress, saying they talk big in the name of farmers but they neither do anything for them nor let others do anything.

He also alleged the party encourages water disputes among states rather than resolving them, and said the delay in the implementation of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) is a direct proof of the Congress’ “intention”.

The ERCP envisages intra-basin transfer of water within the Chambal Basin to provide it to 13 deficient districts of eastern Rajasthan.

“The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was delayed for so long by the Congress, this is also a direct proof of the Congress’ intentions. They talk big in the name of farmers but they neither do anything themselves for the farmers nor let others do anything,” Prime Minister Modi said.

He was addressing the ‘Ek Varsh-Parinaam Utkarsh’ event to mark the completion of the Rajasthan government’s one year in office. He also inaugurated or laid the foundation stones for 24 projects related to energy, road, railways and water worth over Rs 46,300 crore.

The prime minister said the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project (Integrated PKC-ERCP) will provide irrigation as well as drinking water facility to 21 districts of Rajasthan and accelerate the development of both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

On various water disputes between states, he said while the BJP’s policy is to promote dialogue, the Congress continues to fan water discords.

“The BJP’s policy is of dialogue, not of conflict. We believe in cooperation, not opposition. We believe in solutions, not disruption. Therefore, our government has approved and also expanded the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project. As soon as the BJP government was formed in MP and Rajasthan, an agreement was reached on the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal project,” he said.

The prime minister noted that he had launched a big campaign to bring Narmada water to different parts of Gujarat when he was the chief minister, and charged the Congress and some NGOs adopted various tactics to stop it.

“The Congress never wants to reduce water problems…The water of our rivers used to flow to across the borders, but our farmers did not get its benefits. Instead of finding a solution, the Congress continued to promote water disputes between states,” he said.

PM Modi also said that the BJP is getting huge public support in different states where elections were held. “The nation has given the BJP the opportunity to serve the country for the third consecutive time in Lok Sabha. This did not happen in India in the last 60 years,” he said.

“Today, the BJP’s double engine governments are becoming a symbol of good governance. Whatever resolution the BJP takes, it makes honest efforts to fulfil it. Today, the people of the country are saying that BJP is the guarantee of good governance,” he said, and lauded the work of Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government in the state.

“In the last one year, Bhajanlal ji and his entire team have worked very hard to give new momentum and direction to the development of Rajasthan. This first year has, in a way, laid a strong foundation for the many years to come,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi said people blessed the BJP with the responsibility to serve Rajasthan for multiple terms and party did its best.

“Bhairon Singh Shekhawat laid a strong foundation of development in Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje took the legacy forward and now Bhajanlal Sharma’s government is engaged in further enriching good governance. Its impact can be seen in one year,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi said the Central government is constantly trying to improve the economic condition of villages and focusing on promoting every means of earning there.

Rajasthan has ample potential for solar energy and it can become the leading state in the sector, he said.

The PM said north India will get direct connectivity to Kandla from the Jamnagar-Amritsar Economic Corridor. “Rajasthan’s transport sector will benefit. Big warehouses will be built and new job opportunities will be created,” he said.

“The BJP makes honest efforts to fulfil every promise it makes. The BJP has been getting huge support in states. The country has given the party the opportunity to serve the country for the third time in a row in Lok Sabha,” he said.

He also mentioned the victory of the party in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, and bypolls in Rajasthan.

Talking about women empowerment, he said 10 crore women, including lakhs from Rajasthan, joined Self-Help Groups in the last decade. He also highlighted the government’s women-specific programmes such as the Lakhpati Didi scheme, Namo Drone Didi Scheme and Bima Sakhi Scheme.

The PM encouraged party workers to work towards water conservation and make people aware about it, saying the BJP is not just the biggest political party but a huge social movement.

CM Bhajanlal also addressed the meeting and highlighted the achievements of his government.

Union ministers C R Patil, Bhagirath Chaudhary, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa and other leaders were also present in the programme.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi reached the meeting venue in an open jeep, flanked on his left by the CM and BJP state president Madan Rathore on his right.

The vehicle was escorted by a group of women carrying ‘Kalash’ on head.

During the programme, Prime Minister Modi also mixed water of different rivers in a pot to symbolise the interlinking of rivers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)