Jaipur: Presenting her first Budget speech of 2 hours 51 minutes for the fiscal 2024-25, the deputy CM and finance minister of Rajasthan Diya Kumari focused on the core sector of tourism and development of industries and infrastructure with an aim to making Rajasthan a $350 billion economy. No new tax has been imposed in a 25 thousand crore deficit Budget.
After presenting the interim Budget in February this year, this was the first full Budget of Bhajanlal Sharma government of Rajasthan in which Diya Kumari outlined ten resolutions covering all sectors, but the major emphasis has been put on the tourism which is considered one of the core sectors of the state as more than 20 lakh families gets employment from this sector.
Keeping this in mind Diya Kumari who is the tourism minister also has announced to bring a new tourism policy, formation of Tourism Development Board that will carry out tourism development work worth more than Rs 5 thousand crore related to heritage, religious, ecotourism.
Along with this, Rajasthan Heritage Conversation Board will be formed, which will develop archaeological places and heritage sites. For religious tourism, the Khatu Shyam temple in Sikar will be developed on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath. A provision of Rs 100 crore has been made for this.
The state is going to hold an investment summit in December this year. Considering this, a new Industrial Policy based on Ease of Doing Business and Sustainability with three other policies related to Export Promotion, Garment, and Apparel sector and Warehousing and Logistics have been announced in the budget.
The refinery and petrochemical complex in Pachpadra Barmer is near completion, so a Petrozone has been announced in Balotra where by-products from Pachpadra Refinery will be manufactured. Besides this, a defense manufacturing hub will be established in the state. In the infrastructure sector, Diya Kumari has announced development of nine Greenfield Expressways of more than 2,750 km in the next five years.
She also laid emphasis on job creation alongside making youth policy and said, “Rajasthan govt has taken resolution to fill 4 lakh government vacancies in five years.” On the lines of “one nation one election” Diya Kumari announced the holding of local body and panchayat election at the same time. A provision of Rs 1300 crore has been made in the budget for urban development.
