Jaipur: Former chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, expressed disappointment with the Union budget presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday. Gehlot posted on social media platform X, calling the budget directionless.
Ashok Gehlot posted, "The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has brought only disappointment to Rajasthan. It seems that the central government, for political reasons, has allocated the entire budget to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
"Geographically and socially, our Rajasthan needed a special package, but Rajasthan wasn't even mentioned in the entire budget speech. During the last assembly elections, the Prime Minister's speeches never ended without the misleading claims of double development from the so-called double-engine government.
"We had hoped that the central government would grant national project status to Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and allocate special funds for it in this budget, but the central government did not say anything regarding ERCP. They just neglected Rajasthan.
"Earlier the BJP government promised 2 crore jobs annually, but now the budget announces 1 crore internships in 5 years with a monthly stipend of 5, 000 rupees.
"There are no measures in this budget to control inflation. Neither was any tax reduced on petrol and diesel, nor was LPG made cheaper. Our government in Rajasthan has provided gas cylinders for 500 rupees. If the state of Rajasthan can do this, why can't the central government?
"After listening to the entire budget speech, the public is disappointed. Such a directionless budget is unlikely to succeed in getting the country's economy back on track."