Jaipur, Dec 30 (IANS): Rajasthan is neck deep in debt and as per the report of the Reserve Bank of India, the state’s debt increased to Rs 537,013 crore in 2022-23. After Punjab, Rajasthan is the most debt-ridden state in the country.
How to bring in revenue after winning this state from the Congress remains a billion dollar challenge in front of the BJP Government.
Besides the financial implications, the delayed announcement of the Cabinet is yet another test the BJP is facing.
Sources say that the biggest challenges are Home and finance as these are the key issues on which the BJP made a comeback in Rajasthan. Tackling law and order and dwindling revenues are still a concern for the BJP.
During the election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced many guarantees for the people of the desert state. He said that a double-engine Government in Rajasthan will handle all problems more efficiently.
However, how these guarantees will be fulfilled in Rajasthan, as the government is struggling with weak financial management, is a question being asked everywhere?
What will happen to the public welfare schemes started by the previous government? This is yet another question doing the rounds.
While Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has announced that the public welfare schemes started by the Congress in Rajasthan will not be cancelled, it is yet to be made clear as to how they will be implemented.
A few months before the elections, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the free electricity scheme in the state under which 200 units of electricity is given free to domestic customers while 2,000 units of free electricity is provided to farmers each month.
This free electricity scheme is costing the BJP Government dearly and power companies are on the brink of financial ruin. Losses have touched the figure of over Rs 1.20 lakh crore.
Currently, the Government’s Treasury has to bear the burden of Rs 7,000 crore annually due to the free electricity scheme. Since the new Chief Minister has promised to continue the public welfare schemes of the previous Congress Government, it is going to be a big challenge for him to meet this deficit, said sources.
Modi had raised the issue of expensive petrol and diesel in Rajasthan during the poll campaign and he promised to reduce prices as petrol and diesel are costlier by Rs 10-11 per liter in Rajasthan compared to other BJP-ruled states.
Despite severe criticism, the Gehlot Government did not reduce the prices of petrol and diesel as the Rajasthan Government was earning a huge income from VAT.
In 2021-22 and 2022-23, the state government collected Rs 35,975 crore from VAT on petrol and diesel, which is more than the tax of Rs 32,000 crore collected by 18 states of the country.
Now, as per the promise, the new government will have to bring the prices of petrol and diesel at par with those in other BJP-ruled states. How will the current income be compensated will be a challenge for the new government.
Gehlot had been promoting his Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme and he had increased the insurance amount to Rs 25 lakh in the last budget. His election promise was that if the Congress Government came back to power, insurance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the people of Rajasthan.
On the other hand, the Ayushman Bharat health insurance of Rs 5 lakh is available in BJP-ruled states. This is also not for everyone, whereas in Rajasthan everyone is being given the benefit of the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme. It will not be easy for the BJP Government to take a decision on the Chiranjeevi Yojana.
Gehlot had increased the old age pension of senior citizens and made a provision for 15 per cent increase every year. This resulted in an annual burden of Rs 12,000 crore on the state. At present the contribution of the Central Government in this scheme is only Rs 367 crore.
Modi has promised to provide gas cylinders for Rs 450 to 76 lakh families in Rajasthan under the Ujjwala scheme. In such a situation, there will be an additional burden of Rs 626.40 crore on the state government after this scheme, says BJP state President CP Joshi.
Beside these financial woes, law and order is yet another big test for the BJP Government, because this is the issue which was raised the most by the party during its Assembly election campaigns.
Second, the new government will also have to make a concrete plan for conducting competitive examinations as Rajasthan is infamous for paper leaks.
Creating communal harmony will also be a big issue for the new Chief Minister, because in the last five years, communal violence has taken place in many cities, including Karauli, Bhilwara and Jodhpur.
Currently, the BJP is talking about a 100-day action plan. It seems that the schemes of the old government will continue till the Lok Sabha elections are over.
After six months, the vision of the BJP Government will be clear. It will also be apparent to what extent it will live up to the expectations of the public, said party sources.
Meanwhile, there is positivity all around with fresh faces coming in. Ask any senior official in the secretariat or any common man, they say that development comes with change and now they hope to see this development.
“Once the Cabinet is announced, our motivation will get boosted as the real work will start then after being stalled for so many days,” said a senior officer adding, “One Chief Minister cannot run the state or handle so many portfolios. This delay in Cabinet formation doesn’t sound good for the BJP.”