Rajasthan Budget 2018: Live Updates & Highlights

Jaipur: Chief minister Vasundhara Raje has presented the Rajasthan budget – 2018. Find highlights, live updates and latest news here (Want to share this story? Just click on the WhatsApp or Facebook icon above):

Rajasthan Budget live updates, highlights and news

1.30 pm: Chief minister Vasundhara Raje told the media persons after her budget speech that the government has presented the budget in February this year because they would want to implement the scheme as soon as possible.

She said that the budget has made provisions for everyone from farmers and women to students. She said that Jaipur is being recognized by people living in other cities for the quality of life.

“People are moving to Jaipur from Delhi as the quality of air is far better here,” said Raje.

1.10 pm: Gravel mining leases to be decentralized. Small size leases to be allotted to make gravel cheaper.

12.59 pm: DLC rates reduced by 10 percent.

12.57 pm: Stamp duty and registration fee to be reduced under different categories.

12.57 pm: Registry charges for EWS houses reduced to 1 percent from 2 percent, for LIG houses to 2 percent from 3.5 percent.

12.40 pm: Amber Fort in Jaipur to be developed as an Iconic Tourism Destination. 30-km long Smart corridor for Dravyati River Project. Wi-fie and 24 hour CCTV surveillance for the corridor. Rs 50 crore to be spent.

12.36 pm: Two separate courts to handle cases from Jaipur Metro. 7 civil judge, civil magistrate courts to be set up. Raje announces set up of 35 new courts.

12.34 pm: Financial help to the family members of martyrs increased to Rs 25 lakh.

12.33 pm: 2000 patwaris to be recruited.

12.32 pm: Mess allowance of 80,0000 policemen increased.

12.32 pm: 50 Electric buses in Jaipur.

12.30 pm: Flyover at Aerodrome Circle in Kota

12.26 pm: A new agriculture university in Alwar. New agriculture universities in districts on PPP mode.

12.26 pm: Rs 3 crore more for Khel Bhawan in SMS Stadium.

12.20 pm: Child Care Leave: Woman employees to get 2 years leave to look after children under 18 years.

12.18 pm: Youth icon scheme to encourage talent  in sports.

12.18 pm: Jagatpura shooting range in Jaipur to developed according to international standards.

12.14 pm: Free travel to students appearing in UPSC, RPSC interviews.

12.13 pm: Rajasthan government to gift Rs 25 lakh to cricketer Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

12.12 pm: Major announcement for education sector. 77000 vacant posts to be filled. 54000 third grade teacher vacancies, 9000 second grade teacher vacancies and 1500 Sanskrit teacher vacancies to be filled.

12.12 pm: All universities in Rajasthan to get free wi-fi.

12.11 pm: 9000 second grade teaches to be recruited.  Rs 360 crore for construction of toilets at 1163 models schools

12.08 pm: Sanitary pads to be distributed to women in rural areas under the menstrual hygiene scheme.

12.06 pm: Admission in Rajasthan government schools goes up by 12 lakh, says Raje.

12.05 pm: Fodder help for farmers six months in a year.

12.03 pm: Swine flu testing center in Jaipuria Hospital in Jaipur. Dual imaging system in Kota Medical College.

12.02 pm: 1000 nursing teachers to be recruited.

12 pm: 28 new primary health centers in the state. Solar plants on the rooftop of all district hospital buildings. SMS Hospital to be connected with Trauma center. New cath lab with Rs 6 crore at SMS Hospital. Centralized oxygen supply units for mother and child health care units.

11.56 am: Mini plant in Jaipur for storage and distribution of camel milk. Menstrual hygiene scheme for women. 1.84 lakh Anganbari workers to benefit from increase in allowance.

11.53 am: Interest free loan for the purchase of mustard green and chick peas (Chana) at support price. 175000 metric ton urea for farmers.

11.48 am: Rajasthan Farmer Relief Commission to be constituted. The commission to consider relief for farmers on a case-by-case basis.

11.42 am: Rajasthan government waives off farmer loans up to Rs 50,000. Opposition demands full waiver. Pandemonium in the state assembly . Rajasthan government to bear financial burden of Rs 8000 crore due to the loan waiver.

11.38 am: 7 lakh new domestic power connections to be provided. 2 lakh connections for farmers.

11.37 am: Big announcement for small farmers. Debt to be waived off.

11.35 am: New railway line to connect Barmer and Jaisalmer. 500 new RO plants. 882 km roads in Pali, Jodhpur and Nagaur with the help of the World Bank.

11.32 am: Dark zone areas to be connected with rivers to tackle the problem of drinking water shortage. Irrigation related development works to be undertaken in different districts with a budget of Rs 1698 crore.

11.31 am: We have given government jobs to 1.5 lakh youths, says Raje.

11.30 am: All works related to divining licenses to be paperless at RTOs.

11.27 am: An underpass to connect Ramniwas Bag in Jaipur with Delhi Road

11.26 am:  Automated driving tracks at all divisional headquarters and several districts.

11.25 am: A road safety center to be established in Jaipur with a cost of Rs 10 crore.

11.24 am: Rs 10000 crore project for Mahi Dam.

11.23 am: We started the Barmer Refinery that will generate 1 lakh jobs and will push the western Rajasthan on road to development, says Raje. 

11.22 am: People aged 80 or above to get free travel in Rajasthan roadways. Their attendants will be given 50 percent discount on fare when travelling in Rajasthan roadways buses.

11.20 am: Rajasthan government to spend Rs 767 crore on construction of roads in different districts of the state.

11.10 am: Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje begins her budget speech amid slogan shouting from the Opposition.

11.00 am: Pandemonium in the state assembly even before the budget speech begins. Opposition starts shouting slogans. Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi demands that the law giving immunity to public servants and gagging media be withdrawn.

10.44 am: Chief minister Vasundhara Raje has reached the state assembly. She will begin her budget speech in the next few minutes.

9 am: The Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government will present its last budget on Monday. The government usually tables the budget in the state assembly in March, but it is being preponed for at least a month because the state will go to polls by the end of this year. The government would want to announce populist schemes and try to implement as many of them as possible in the election year.

The budget will be presented at 11 am by chief minister Vasundhara Raje. The finance department handed over the copy of the budget speech to the chief minister on Sunday evening.

This will be the Rajasthan government’s first budget after the GST came into force. The GST will likely have a great deal of impact on the state budget as the Raje government won’t be able to announce any changes to taxes. The authority to increase or reduce taxes is now with the GST Council.

Over the past four years, the size of the budget in terms of the amount of allocations has increased by almost 40%.

The first budget presented by this government amounted to Rs 1.31 lakh crore. The second budget amounted to Rs 1.37 lakh crore, third budget Rs 1.71 kakh crore and fourth budget 1.81 lakh crore. The government has not been able to spend money on many allocations promised in these budgets.

Sources said that the budget would be populist keeping in view the elections due by the end of this year. The government may make several announcements for medical and health, electricity, water, PWD etc.