Rajasthan Budget session likely to be stormy

Jaipur: The Budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly that will begin tomorrow is likely to be stormy with the opposition Congress planning to corner the government on a range of issues pertaining to farmers, interests of small-scale businessmen and unemployment, among others.

Congress is also holding a legislature party meeting in the evening today to finalise its strategy for the session.

"The government has neglected the interests of the farmers, youths, small businessmen and their issues will be raised in the Budget session to corner the government," Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Rameshwar Dudi said.

Farmers in the state had been protesting against a power tariff hike that was announced in September last year and had threatened a mass protest near the assembly during the Budget session.
The government, however, recently rolled back the hike, with farmers expressing gratitude for the decision.

However, the Congress said that there are several issues related to farmers where the government has been apathetic and such issues will be prominently raised in the assembly.

"Farmers had been protesting against the power tariff hike and the government had to bow down. Still, there are other issues which include relief to the hailstorm hit farmers, crop insurance among others," Dudi said.

He said the government has shut down 17,000 state-run schools, and neglected the interests of small businessmen, youths and unemployed, which would be raised in the assembly.
Dudi said that the government's Budget announcements of the last three years mainly remained on paper.

Only 25 per cent of the promises made by the BJP in its election manifesto have been fulfilled whereas the government makes tall claims that it has fulfilled 72 per cent of the promises, he claimed.

The session will begin at 11 am tomorrow with the Governor's speech.

The meeting of business advisory committee will be held after the house adjournment tomorrow to decide the business of the house, Government Deputy Chief Whip Madan Rathore said.