By PTI
KOTA: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday lashed out at the Centre holding it responsible for the incessant rice in prices of essential commodities and also for bringing down the revenue of states.
He urged the central government to formulate policies that strengthened the states and raised their revenue.
Addressing a public assembly at Jorwarpura village in Pipalda area of Kota district, Gehlot claimed that the rise in prices was because of the Centre’s “faulty policies” and that the country was witnessing such steep hikes for the first time since Independence.
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“The prices of petrol and diesel continued to rise and crossed Rs 100 per litre. They now cost around Rs 113-Rs 115 per litre. With the recent cut announced by the Centre on the excise tax, Rajasthan is set to lose around Rs 550 crore,” he said.
The chief minister, however, urged the Narendra Modi-led government to further reduce the fuel prices by Rs 10-15 per litre, saying though this would mean a loss of around Rs 3,500 crore for the state, his government would bear it “in public interest”.
Gehlot said it was not fair on the part of the Centre to pressure the states to reduces taxes but it was the responsibility of the central government to strengthen the states and formulate policies that would raise their revenue.
He alleged the central government had reduced the state’s share in several schemes.
The chief minister, accompanied by president of Rajasthan Congress Govind Singh Dotasra, landed in a helicopter here and inspected the ‘Prashasan Gaon Ke Sangh’ camp being held in the gram panchayat.
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At least 22 departments of the state government have set up their counters to sort out revenue, land, pension, water and electricity connection-related issues among others of the people.
The chief minister reviewed the working of these counters and took feedback from the people.
He handed over a wheelchair to a local specially-abled woman, Manjubai, asked her the reason for her disability and gently pushed her in the wheelchair in order to explain how it worked.
Gehlot termed the ‘Prashashan Gaon Ke Sangh’ camp a great success in addressing the grievances of the public.
At least 5,941 camps under the initiative have been organised so far in 352 panchyats of the state and over 6.09 lakh cases of mutation, 5.6 lakh cases of record correction, over 4,900 cases of residential land allotment, 6.55 lakh cases of various certificates, 70,000 cases of social security pension and over 31,300 cases of dispute over ways have been sorted out, he claimed.
Later in the day, Gehlot also visited another camp at Thikerda village of Hindoli Panchyat Samiti in Bundi district.
