Rajasthan Budget 2025-26: Govt Seeks Citizen Suggestions Ahead of Key Policy Decisions

The Rajasthan state government has taken a historic step by launching a unique initiative ahead of the state budget. As part of this initiative, citizens across the country were invited to share their suggestions and feedback on what they expect from the upcoming budget. With this, the state’s Finance Department introduced a novel, transparent, and bottom-up approach to budget-making, ensuring that policies and allocations align with people’s aspirations.

This initiative was held from January 30 to February 3, 2025, in the Pink City during the Jaipur Literature Festival and was organised by the state’s Finance Department. The report presents a comprehensive summary of public perspectives and highlights key areas where policy intervention can drive meaningful change. Believing that the most impactful policies emerge from the needs and aspirations of the people, the government took this excellent step to seek direct feedback from citizens.

This participatory approach ensures that the budget reflects ground realities and addresses the most pressing demands of the people. Through this initiative, the Finance Department sought to engage participants on their vision of a “Developed Rajasthan” and focused on aligning this with green budget priorities. Additionally, the department aimed to emphasise the state's economic growth, job creation, agricultural reform, women empowerment, and infrastructure development.

Multi-Channel Feedback Collection

To gather citizens' aspirations and responses, the department set up on-site interactions, QR code access, and drop boxes for collecting suggestions.

Interviews

Interviews were conducted with attendees at the Jaipur Literature Festival to understand their expectations from the upcoming Rajasthan State Budget. These conversations offered valuable insights into public concerns, including infrastructure, employment, social welfare, and economic development.

Drop Box Feedback Stations

In addition to interviews, physical feedback stations were set up at key locations during the Jaipur Literature Festival, allowing attendees to share their thoughts on the state budget. Drop boxes enabled visitors to anonymously write down their suggestions, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives was captured in a structured and inclusive manner.

Suggestions via QR Code

Alongside drop boxes, a QR code-based feedback mechanism was implemented, enabling participants to scan a code and digitally submit their budget suggestions. This method provided a seamless, contactless, and convenient way for people to engage, extending participation beyond physical stations.

Key Insights (Data-Driven)

During the period from January 30 to February 3, the department witnessed strong engagement and participation, gathering a diverse array of suggestions from multiple channels:

• 149 participants shared in-depth views through interviews
• 658 suggestions were received via QR code submissions
• 160 suggestions were collected through drop boxes

The feedback from Rajasthan’s citizens highlights a clear vision for an inclusive, development-oriented, and resilient state. While the government has made commendable progress, several areas still require improvement. Citizens expect better infrastructure, improved governance, increased employment opportunities, and sustainable environmental policies. Their responses emphasise the need for inclusive economic policies, gender equality, improved healthcare services, and support for agriculture.

A progressive and balanced budget that prioritises these aspects will play a crucial role in shaping Rajasthan’s economic future. By adopting this grassroots approach to budget formation, the Rajasthan government has set a new benchmark in participatory governance, ensuring that the budget truly reflects the needs and aspirations of its people.

Going forward, transparent implementation, effective monitoring, and continued public participation will be essential in translating these suggestions into impactful policies for the state's future development.