Welfare schemes galore in Rajasthan's budget, but are they sustainable?

Like most other state budgets, Rajasthan's appears to have been crafted with one eye on the polls, while side-stepping on the issue of resources available to finance its programmes

In his state budget speech on February 23, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had made a major announcement on government pensions. He had said that the state would move from the New Pension Scheme (based on contributory pension) to the old pension scheme (based on defined benefits) for all employees who have joined after January 1, 2004.

Gehlot had said that the new NPS had made employees apprehensive about their financial security in old age and asked other states to reconsider the new NPS as well.

This wasn't the only bonanza announcement. Gehlot announced a rebate on the additional one-time