Rajasthan CM Sharma: Youth Are the Key to a Developed Rajasthan

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Monday said youth participation is crucial to realising the vision of a “Developed Rajasthan”, asserting that India is a young nation and its youth form the foundation of both the country and the state. Addressing students from various educational institutions during a pre-budget dialogue at the Chief Minister’s residence, Sharma said the dream of a Developed India and a Developed Rajasthan can be achieved through the energy and strength of the youth.

Extending greetings to the youth on National Youth Day, he said Swami Vivekananda remains a source of inspiration for all, and his message encourages the youth to remain steadfast and determined in achieving their goals. “When youth progress, the nation and the state move forward,” he said. The Chief Minister said the state government is committed to fulfilling the aspirations of young people and ensuring their inclusive development, adding that the government’s priority is to make the budget youth-centric to accelerate the state’s development and build a strong Rajasthan.

Taking a dig at the previous government, CM Sharma said while promises were made to youth earlier, his government has taken strict action against incidents of paper leaks, adding that no such cases have been reported in the past two years. He said the government is prioritising employment for youth and in the past two years more than one lakh government appointments have been made, while recruitment processes are underway for around 1.5 lakh posts.

Sharma said the government has set a target of four lakh jobs in the government sector and significant employment generation in the private sector over the next five years, creating over one crore job opportunities for youth. He said several important steps are being taken to promote entrepreneurship among youth. Under the Rising Rajasthan initiative, investment proposals worth Rs 35 lakh crore have been received, of which projects worth Rs 8 lakh crore have been grounded.

To support this, skill development initiatives are being strengthened, and more than three lakh youth have received skill training in various economic sectors, he said. The Chief Minister said the state government has also provided internships to two lakh students, established 65 lakh launchpad nests, and extended assistance to 658 beneficiaries. CM Sharma said the government has implemented a comprehensive development roadmap with a focus on water and electricity.

Work is progressing rapidly on projects such as the Ramjal Setu Link Project, seawater-related initiatives for Shekhawati, and schemes connected with the Indira Gandhi Canal, Dewas, Mahi and Narmada, he said. He added that several important decisions have also been taken in the power sector. The government had promised daytime electricity supply to farmers and is now delivering extended hours of power supply, with the state moving towards self-reliance in electricity.

The Chief Minister said the state government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is working on the vision of “Development along with Heritage”. As part of this effort, concessions have been provided for the conservation and restoration of 662 historic havelis in the Shekhawati region, he said. Sharma said Rajasthan is rich in 82 types of mineral resources and its tourism destinations have global recognition.

The state’s lakes, forts, havelis, deserts and religious sites remain major attractions for domestic and international tourists, he said. He said training facilities are being developed through the phased establishment of Atal Gyan Kendras at every gram panchayat to benefit rural students. The objective is to provide employment-oriented training at the grassroots level, he said, adding that the government is guided by a welfare-oriented approach inspired by the philosophy of Integral Humanism, ensuring that the benefits of government schemes reach the last person in society.

During the programme, youth appreciated several decisions taken by the Chief Minister over the past two years in the interest of young people. They also offered suggestions on education, employment, skill development, entrepreneurship and industry. The Chief Minister assured that efforts would be made to incorporate these suggestions into the upcoming budget. Earlier, he paid floral tribute to Swami Vivekananda on National Youth Day.

The event was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Skill and Entrepreneurship) Sandeep Verma, Principal Secretary (Women and Child Development) Bhawani Singh Detha, Principal Secretary (Finance) Vaibhav Galaria, senior officials, and a large number of students from Rajasthan University, various government colleges, government ITIs and other institutions.