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The Rajasthan government will increase its budget for infrastructure outlay in the next Assembly session to boost tourism in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari said on Thursday.
The Deputy CM, while speaking to ANI said that the double-engine government of the BJP is going to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the country in Rajasthan. "We had made a lot of announcements in (State) Budget. A lot of focus will be on tourism. Our double-engine government is going to implement PM's vision for the country, in Rajasthan - that more and more tourists come to Rajasthan and the state becomes the number one tourist destination in the country. We have given a lot of attention to infrastructure too," Diya Kumari said. Rajasthan Finance Minister further said, "Budget announcements have been made with a focus on infrastructure. Our main budget that will come in July and you will find that we will give a lot more to infrastructure. Connectivity - be it road, air or railway - is very important to promote tourism. Other facilities and security are inter-connected..." Diya Kumar had presented her first Budget earlier in February in which there were announcements for recruitment for 70,000 posts, free education from kindergarten to post-graduation for low-income groups, Rs 1,000 crore for the establishment and upgrade of schools, colleges, hospitals and administrative offices in "deprived areas", Rs 2,000 additional annual payout to farmers under the Centre's PM-KISAN scheme and a Rs 125 per quintal hike in wheat MSP. Diya Kumari also announced that there will be no land tax and an increase in the minimum social security pension from Rs 1,000 a month to Rs 1,150 with an additional provision of Rs 1,800 crore. Notably, the number of domestic tourists visiting Rajasthan has increased about 12 times in the last four years, with the footfall of foreign tourists also witnessing a sharp uptick since the Covid-induced slump. According to the Tourism Department, in 2020, more than 1.51 crore domestic tourists visited the state. The number shot up to over 17.90 crore in 2023. A total of 32.44 crore domestic tourists visited Rajasthan from January 2020 to December 2023. On the other hand, over 22.20 lakh foreign tourists visited the desert state to witness its historical heritage during the same period. Diya Kumari, when asked by BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf in the Rajasthan Assembly held recently, revealed the tourism numbers. According to her reply, nearly 18 crore domestic and 17 lakh foreign tourists came to Rajasthan in 2023. A total of 1.51 crore domestic tourists and 4.46 lakh foreign tourists visited Rajasthan in 2020. In 2021, 2.19 crore domestic and 34,806 foreign tourists visited the state, while in 2022, it played host to 10.83 crore domestic and 39,684 foreign tourists. (ANI)
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