Budget 2020-21: Healthcare, Investments, Farmer Welfare Focus Areas for Rajasthan Govt

Jaipur, Feb 20 (PTI) A Rs 100-crore 'Nirogi Rajasthan' fund for healthcare, single-window approvals for investments and setting up of an authority to run campaign against adulteration are among the highlights of the Rajasthan budget, which did not propose any new taxes.

Presenting the Budget 2020-21 on Thursday in the Rajasthan Assembly, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced a relief worth over Rs 130 crore by way of lowering stamp duty on land patta and exempting transfer of properties by sick MSMEs from the stamp duty.

Gehlot, who also holds the finance portfolio, also said it would be 'no-bag day' in all government schools on Saturdays.

The budget estimated revenue receipts at Rs 1,73,404.42 crore for 2020-21 and expenditure at Rs 1,85,750.03 crore, showing a deficit of Rs 12,345.61 crore.

The state's fiscal deficit for the next fiscal is pegged at Rs 33,922.77 crore, which is 2.99 per cent of the gross state domestic product.

In his speech, Gehlot said the budget was prepared on seven resolutions, including 'Nirogi Rajasthan', prosperous farmer, women, child welfare and education.

He also added that efforts have been made to ensure that development is not interrupted in the state despite various challenges.

Gehlot also announced setting up a panel for granting approvals to investment proposals on a 'one-stop shop' pattern. The budget also proposed a 'Nehru Child Protection Fund' for ensuring child rights and checking activities like human trafficking and child labour. It also stressed on taking strict action for adulteration and setting up fast-track courts for this.

In order to promote sports, the chief minister announced to organise block- and district-level sports events and to increase the prize amount for those winning gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth games and hire 500 coaches to prepare players of international level.

He announced to increase the prize amount for a gold medallist in Olympic Games from the current Rs 75 lakh to 3 crore; for a silver medallist, the amount was increased from the current Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore; and from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore for a bronze medallist.

Similarly, for the Asian and Commonwealth Games, the chief minister announced to raise the prize amount from the current Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore for a gold medallist, from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 60 lakh for a silver medallist, and from the current Rs 10 lakh to 30 lakh for a bronze medallist.

Announcing 'no-bag day' in all government schools on Saturdays, the chief minister said cultural, sports, happiness therapy, scout and other activities will be conducted on Saturdays.

Expressing concern over deaths in road accidents, he said it will be mandatory for private hospitals to treat those injured in such cases, and if the treatment is denied, action will be taken against the hospital.

Referring to steps taken by Tamil Nadu to curb deaths in road accidents, Gehlot said a road map will be prepared to bring down the number of such fatalities, and a committee headed by the chief minister will be set up to review the situation.

He also announced to give the Chief Minister Road Safety Prize to three districts of the state.

In the agriculture sector, the chief minister announced to increase the area under date farming to 1,500 hectares in the next four years, and made a provision of Rs 91 crore for micro-irrigation facility.

In the energy sector, Gehlot announced to implement the rooftop solar system on a large scale in the state to promote renewable energy and every district headquarters and identified urban areas will be developed as 'green energy city'.

The Budget also proposed to increase dearness allowance from 12 per cent to 17 per cent effective from July 2019 for the state employees and recruitment for about 53,000 posts.

In tax proposals, Gehlot announced that stamp duty on land patta issued by state government and local bodies will be calculated on the amount taken for patta instead of district lease committee (DLC) rates or market price.

He also announced to exempt transfer of properties by sick MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) from stamp duty. To give relief to the real estate sector, he proposed to decrease DLC rates by 10 per cent.

He said most of the financial indicators show that the economy is currently going through a tough phase.

In the post-Budget press conference, the chief minister said the Budget was prepared on priorities like women, social security, youth and farmers.

Targeting the central government on the issue of economy, the senior leader said the Centre was not focusing on strengthening the economy despite concerns by World Bank, International Monetary Fund and several economists.

"The government is not focused on strengthening the economy which is sinking. There is immense carelessness on this issue," he said.

Referring to NSSO figures on unemployment, the chief minister said the unemployment was at a 45-year peak at 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 and alleged that the government of India did not reveal it because of general elections last year.

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee President, Sachin Pilot, said that public welfare announcements have been made in the Budget.

"The Budget is dedicated to overall development of the state in which announcements were made keeping infrastructure development along with farmers, women, youth and all sections at the centre of it," Pilot said in a statement.

On the other hand, the Opposition BJP criticised the Budget saying it was just "a routine Budget" of the "routine government" and was an example of the state government's poor financial management.

"Power companies are reeling under losses. There is no relief to people in the Budget. We are not able to see any development in the Budget," Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Gulab Chand Kataria said at a press conference here.

Kataria said the state government is earning Rs 21,000 crore through value-added tax only, which is the highest among all the states, and despite that, there is no word about development in the Budget. PTI AG SDA

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