Jaipur, February 11 Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday termed the state's budget for 2026-27 as "disappointing," alleging that it has left all sections of society disillusioned and raised concerns about the future.
Reacting to the budget presented in the Assembly, Gehlot said in a statement that there were no announcements that could be described as being in the larger public interest.
"The budget is not only disappointing but also creates concerns among the people about the future. Every section of society will feel dejected after seeing this budget," he said.
The Congress leader alleged that despite the BJP government's claims about infrastructure development, major projects such as the refinery and the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) did not find mention in the budget. He said that the previous budget had announced the inauguration of the refinery by August 2025, which has not materialized.
Gehlot also said that under the previous Congress regime, there was a provision for a 15 per cent annual increase in social security pensions, and similar announcements were made in the last two budgets. "This time, there is no announcement of an increase in social security pension, leading to disappointment among over 90 lakh beneficiaries," he said.
He further alleged that no major recruitment drive was announced for the youth aspiring for government jobs and criticised the proposal to fill even limited posts on a contractual basis.
On the proposal to set up a State Testing Agency (STA) on the lines of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Gehlot said that the NTA had recently been at the centre of controversies and alleged that the move appeared to be an attempt to divert attention from alleged irregularities in OMR-based examinations.
He also criticised the government for not restoring the Annapurna ration kit scheme started during the Congress tenure and claimed that state government employees' demands were ignored.
Referring to the government's announcement on water connections, Gehlot said that while 45 lakh tap connections were promised over two budgets, only 14 lakh have been provided in two years, calling it a "failure".
