The BJP Government of Rajasthan, with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma in charge, celebrated its first year in office on December 15, with several significant milestones achieved. The government would provide over 1.24 lakh jobs, provoke a paper leak mafia, and sign one of the largest Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).
One of the crowning glories of the government was the successful holding of the "Rising Rajasthan Investment Summit," which resulted in a whopping Rs 34 lakh crore investment commitment to propel the economy at par with that of the USD 350 billion mark, backed by a 65% increase in capital expenditure for the current fiscal year. These efforts have been hailed as important for the long-term economic growth of Rajasthan. In addition, the BJP managed to win five out of seven seats in the recently held Assembly bypolls, a feat that is attributed to Sharma's leadership.
The government has been venturing under the leadership of Sharma mostly for governance reforms and public welfare programs, as the state also formed a special investigation team (SIT) to look into cases of paper leaks, leading to the arrest of over 50 people regarding the 2021 sub-inspector recruitment scandal. Over 32,000 posts have been filled by the state, and nearly 92,000 people are being recruited further.
In the agriculture sector, the government has implemented the Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, providing farmers an additional cash flow of Rs 2,000 along with the benefit from PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. It has reached more than 65 lakh farmers and transferred about Rs 653.4 crore under this initiative.
Infrastructure development has also been included in Sharma's government, including a tripartite MoU between Madhya Pradesh and the Centre for fulfilling an irrigation and drinking water requirement in eastern Rajasthan through the ERCP. This project, which had been stalled through the Congress regime previously, will now be taken along with priority by the BJP .
There have been obstacles in Sharma's tenure, notwithstanding the notable achievements. Tensions have burst within the BJP, with Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena becoming vocal in criticism of the party leadership. There are many indecisive issues over which the government is failing to take decisions, be it the formation of new districts or the controversial 2021 sub-inspector recruitment.
The first year of government, nevertheless, has seen much achievement and unwavering dedication to development, possibly earning Sharma a significant part in Rajasthan's political drama down the years.
