Jaipur, Feb 2 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said on Monday that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has been progressing steadily on the path of development with financial discipline and economic stability over the past 12 years.
He described the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as one that will take the “nation from self-reliance to development, from potential to achievement, and from resolve to success”.
Addressing the media at the Chief Minister’s Office, Chief Minister Sharma said the budget comprehensively addresses the aspirations of a New India while reaffirming the Union government’s commitment to uplifting the last person in society.
The Chief Minister added that this youth-centric budget includes significant provisions for employment generation, skill development, promotion of startups, and expansion of the service sector, which will boost both employment and self-employment opportunities.
“Skill training initiatives for one lakh allied health professionals, 1.5 lakh caregivers, and tourist guides will directly benefit the youth.”
He noted that the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics + Extended Reality) Policy has already been implemented in Rajasthan, and the establishment of content creator laboratories in secondary schools and colleges will provide additional opportunities for the state’s youth.
He also said that the budget places strong emphasis on women empowerment, enhancing women’s safety and economic participation, strengthening agricultural infrastructure, improving farmers’ access to markets, and reducing risks in the agricultural sector.
Chief Minister Sharma said that following the historic free trade agreement agreement with Europe, the budget has opened new avenues for small and large industries, manufacturers, artisans, and workers to establish a global presence.
“Several initiatives have been announced to promote manufacturing in sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, handlooms, and handicrafts.”
He invited industries to establish units in Rajasthan’s industrial corridors and take advantage of the special scheme introduced in the budget to promote heavy machinery manufacturing for construction and infrastructure.
He added that these measures will also help Rajasthan’s exporters tap into newly emerging global markets.
The Chief Minister said that the budget has duly recognised Rajasthan’s potential and requirements.
“A 30 per cent increase in allocation — amounting to nearly Rs 32,914 crore — has been made for renewable energy. An allocation of Rs 22,000 crore has been announced for the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. Customs duty exemptions have been provided on the import of sodium antimonate used in solar glass manufacturing, as well as on capital goods used for manufacturing lithium-ion cell batteries for Battery Energy Storage Systems. As a leading state in solar energy, Rajasthan will receive fresh momentum from these provisions.”
Chief Minister Sharma said that Rajasthan has recently implemented the Semiconductor Policy, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) Policy, and Data Centre Policy, positioning the state to become a hub for semiconductors and data centres.
He added that Rajasthan is fully prepared to benefit from incentives under the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, AI Mission, National Quantum Mission, Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme, and initiatives related to data centres and cloud services.
He described the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund and the Atmanirbhar Bharat Top-up as major boosts for small industries.
Initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi Swaraj Yojana and the creation of Champion MSMEs will enable small enterprises in Rajasthan to grow into global business houses, the Chief Minister said.
The announcements related to the Mega Textile Park, Textile Labour Incentive Scheme, and the strengthening of 200 industrial clusters nationwide are also significant for the state, CM Sharma added.
The Chief Minister said that the allocation of Rs 12.20 lakh crore with a strong focus on infrastructure development will help further strengthen Rajasthan’s urban infrastructure.
Financial support through Infrastructure Investment Trust bonds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and municipal bonds will provide substantial benefits to cities across the state, he added.
On this occasion, Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and other senior state government officials were also present.
–IANS
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