Ashok Gehlot Launches Budget Files, Critiques Rajasthan Governments Water Mission

Jaipur, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has launched the first episode of his social media video series, ‘Budget Files,’ focusing on the Rajasthan government‘s implementation of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission.’ In this inaugural episode, titled ‘Case Number 1,’ Gehlot targets the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by Bhajan Lal Sharma, for its performance in providing water connections.

Using official data, Gehlot questioned the state government’s achievements in delivering tap water connections and challenged their narrative of ‘two years versus five years.’ He compared the accomplishments of the previous Congress government with those of the current BJP administration, attempting to counter Sharma’s claims.

In the video and accompanying social media posts, Gehlot scrutinized the BJP’s electoral promises and budget announcements. He noted that during the 2023 assembly elections, the BJP pledged to ensure every household would receive a tap water connection by 2025. Upon taking office, the BJP set a target of providing 2.5 million new connections within a year, followed by another 2 million in the 2025 budget.

However, Gehlot alleged that the government has only managed to deliver fewer than 1.4 million connections over nearly three financial years, falling short of their promise. According to his analysis, the BJP government provided 944,000 connections in 2024-25 and 271,000 in 2025-26, with current figures for this financial year (up to October) hovering between 79,000 and 89,000.

In contrast, Gehlot claimed that the previous Congress government connected 1.388 million households to tap water in just the 2022-23 fiscal year, surpassing the total of 1.295 million connections attributed to the BJP over the past three years. He emphasized that approximately 4.4 million rural families in Rajasthan are still waiting for tap water connections.

Warning of the slow pace of progress, Gehlot stated that at the current rate, it could take over 30 years to provide tap water to all remaining families. He accused the BJP-led state government of merely laying down a “pipeline of figures” through budget announcements, while many residents continue to await their water connections.

Gehlot’s main argument highlighted that despite the government’s numerous budget declarations, the commitment to deliver water remains unfulfilled at the grassroots level.