Rajasthan Budget 2018: Vasundhara Raje sells dreams for votes with limited farm loan waiver

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday presented her last budget before the state goes into polls later this year.

Like Union Budget 2018, Raje also tried to woo the farmers – who are said to be angry with the govt for various reasons – by announcing one-time loan waiver of up to Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers in the state.

Presenting the state budget in the Assembly, Raje also announced setting up a farmer loan relief commission where farmers can approach and present their side for getting relief on merit basis.

As Raje, who also holds finance portfolio, announced the loan waiver, opposition Congress members led by the leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi created uproar in the house.

Congress, who demanded the Raje government to wave off the entire loan, said it was betrayal with farmers.

Raje informed the house that the decision of loan waiver up to Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers will cost Rs 8,000 crore to the exchequer.

Earlier, Vasundhara Raje had announced a Rs 20,000 crore package after a two-week long protest by thousands of farmers in Sikar, Jhunjhunu and other districts of Rajasthan.

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The Chief Minister also announced 1,061 new vacancies of Rajasthan Police constable and offered an interest-free loan up to Rs 25 lakh for journalists.

In 2013, Vasundhara Raje had promised 15 lakh government jobs in her five-year tenure if elected to power. However, the government generated only 53 thousand jobs in the first 15 months in power and was far away from the promise she made.

In the Rajasthan Budget 2018, Raje also announced 77,100 new vacancies to fill the vacant posts in the education department.

She also made traveling free for people above the age of 80 years and one attendee on the half fare in the state roadways buses. The CM also promised to give 7 lakh new electricity connections.

Hike in honorarium to Anganwadi workers, underpass from the Ramniwas garden to Delhi road for a better traffic management, biogas plants in cow shelters were among other announcements made in Rajasthan budget 2018.