Jaipur, Feb 17 (NationPress) In response to the budget discussions in the Rajasthan Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Diya Kumari unveiled a series of significant announcements aimed at providing substantial relief to government employees and enhancing infrastructure and social sector development.

Diya Kumari declared that government employees who resign after securing another central or state government job during their two-year training period will no longer face recovery of their salary and allowances. Previously, employees had to reimburse the salary received during training upon resignation.

Additionally, she revealed that all state government employees will now benefit from insurance coverage until their retirement date, addressing a previous shortcoming where insurance policies would expire before retirement.

In a pointed critique of the Congress party, Diya Kumari remarked that the previous administration had “depleted the treasury,” leaving behind fiscal hurdles. She highlighted that while the fiscal deficit under the Congress regime stood at 4.4% of GSDP, the current government anticipates a deficit of 3.87% for 2025-26, with a further decline to 3.69% by 2026-27.

The Deputy Chief Minister detailed various developmental projects, including an allocation of Rs 690 crore for new road construction, Rs 150 crore for updating old drinking water pipelines, and Rs 220 crore for drinking water initiatives.

Further initiatives included the construction of a new Grid Sub Station (GSS), development of an industrial area near Kota’s Greenfield Airport, processing of MSME applications at District Industries Centers, new courses at Triple IT Kota to transform it into an AI hub with central assistance, and the introduction of robotic surgery facilities at Medical College Kota, alongside Rs 25 crore for hospital upgrades.

Other announcements featured eye examinations and spectacles for 75,000 schoolchildren, self-defense training and counseling for 1 lakh women, increased capacity in Ambedkar and OBC hostels, Rs 25 crore for safari facilities at Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary, establishment of new veterinary hospitals and sub-centers, a Mini Secretariat in Lunkaransar (Bikaner), and a new police station in Luni. Diya Kumari stated, “Our government is inclusive and values constructive criticism from the opposition.”

She dismissed the opposition's criticisms as unfounded and noted that the Leader of the Opposition lacked substantial critiques of the budget.

In response to concerns regarding education and agricultural funding, Diya Kumari asserted that the agriculture budget is 34% higher than during the Congress administration, urging the opposition to provide accurate data.

Farmers will be granted access to up to a 20-foot strip of government land for farm access roads at double the DLC rate, alongside extended insurance coverage for employees until their retirement.