Rajasthan Budget Allocates Rs. 15,000 Cr for Tap Water and Greenfield Expressways

Rajasthan's Finance Minister, Diya Kumari, presented the state Budget for the financial year 2024-25 on Wednesday, outlining a series of transformative initiatives aimed at propelling the state's economy to $350 billion. The Budget reflects a strategic focus on infrastructure development, healthcare, employment generation, and youth empowerment.

Key highlights of the budget include:

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  Economic Ambition: Kumari set a bold target to elevate Rajasthan's economy to $350 billion, underlining the state's commitment to robust economic growth.

  
  


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  Healthcare: A substantial allocation of Rs 27,000 crore was proposed for the health sector, emphasizing the government's priority on enhancing healthcare infrastructure and services across the state.

  
  


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  Infrastructure Development: The budget earmarked Rs 60,000 crore for new road projects, with plans to construct nine Greenfield Expressways aimed at boosting connectivity and fostering economic development in Rajasthan.

  
  


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  Special Projects: Kumari announced the construction of a ‘Rajasthan Mandapam’ in Jaipur, inspired by the concept of Bharat Mandapam, with Rs 100 crore allocated for its development. Additionally, plans to accelerate the greenfield airport project in Kota district were revealed, promising significant employment opportunities.

  
  


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  Youth Empowerment: The finance minister unveiled initiatives to create 400,000 job opportunities over five years, alongside the introduction of a comprehensive youth policy and the establishment of the ‘Rajasthan Youth Icon Award’ to recognize young achievers.

  
  


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  Infrastructure and Agriculture: The budget aimed to provide tap water to 25 lakh rural households, install 20 hand pumps per assembly constituency, and supply electricity connections to two lakh households. It also proposed interest-free loans for five lakh new farmers and the establishment of 500 new Farmers Producers Organizations to support agriculture.

  
  


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  Vocal for Local: To boost local industries, Kumari introduced the ‘One District, One Policy’ initiative aimed at promoting domestic products and encouraging local entrepreneurship.

  
  

The budget presentation underscored the government's commitment to inclusive growth, emphasizing infrastructure expansion, healthcare enhancement, job creation, and youth empowerment as pivotal to Rajasthan's economic trajectory in the coming years.

BS