Tag: ashok gehlot

  • Ready to get intellectually-challenged girl’s case probed by any agency as per family’s wish: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that an investigation was underway to find out the cause of the girl's injuries.

  • Shameful that no arrest made for hate speeches made at Haridwar Dharma Sansad: Gehlot

    The Congress leader said the Supreme Court should take cognisance of the matter and initiate action.

  • Allow booster dose of coronavirus vaccine: Gehlot to Centre

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday once again requested the Centre to allow booster dose of Covid vaccine, citing a spurt in infection cases following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the virus.

    In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he also demanded that people below 18 years of age be also vaccinated.

    The state on Saturday reported one death and 45 fresh cases, of which 21 were found infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

    According to a release, Gehlot said in view of an increase in Omicron cases, experts have expressed the possibility of a third wave in the country.

    “The World Health Organisation has also recommended a booster dose because the antibody levels of people who have been vaccinated initially are decreasing,” he said.

    “Cases of Omicron have been reported in 16 states and Union Territories of India. In such a situation, it is necessary that health workers, frontline workers and citizens above 60 years of age, who have been given both doses of the vaccine for more than six months, be administered booster doses at the earliest,” he said.

    The chief minister also said even citizens below 18 years of age are in dire need of vaccination.

    The Union government initially made “ZyCoV-D” vaccine available for them only in seven states, which does not include Rajasthan, he said.

    Gehlot wrote to the PM that all states have the same requirement, so this vaccine should be made available to all of them.

    Earlier in the day, sharing an article published in a newspaper, Gehlot tweeted, “The Government of India is again requested to issue guidelines after taking an early decision regarding the booster dose.”

    Gehlot said many other states have also demanded that the booster dose of coronavirus be allowed.

  • Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot meets industrialists Ashok Hinduja​, Prakash Hinduja; discusses investment

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Industrialists Ashok Hinduja and Prakash Hinduja called on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here on Monday.

    “They discussed about existing investment of the group in the state and further investments in the areas of renewable energy, transport and other sectors,” Gehlot tweeted.

    Shri Ashok Hinduja and Shri Prakash Hinduja of Hinduja Group met me today. They discussed about existing investment of the group in the state and further investments in the areas of renewable energy, transport & other sectors. pic.twitter.com/LLDbi3zhqk
    — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 20, 2021
    The meeting took place at the chief minister’s residence in the morning.

  • Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot writes to PM Narendra Modi regarding ‘inadequate’ supply of urea

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide adequate urea fertilizer to the farmers in the state on time. Gehlot wrote a letter to the PM to draw his attention towards the inadequate supply of urea to the state against the sanctioned allocation, according to a release.

    Earlier, Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya had also written a letter to the Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and urged him to increase the supply of urea, the official statement said. Apart from this, Principal Secretary- Agriculture and Commissioner-Agriculture have also met the ministry officials to apprise them of the difficulties being faced by the farmers due to the shortage.

    During the Rabi season, 90 to 95 lakh hectare area is normally sown in the state for which 13.50 lakh metric ton of fertilizer is required. This time, sowing area is estimated to be 1 crore hectare and the demand of urea in the state is expected to increase to 14.50 lakh metric ton.

    To meet this requirement, 8 lakh metric ton of urea was approved by the Government of India in the months of October and November but only 5.52 lakh metric ton of it was supplied, the release said.

  • BJP will not bring down Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, it will fall due to infighting: Satish Poonia

    Satish Poonia said on Tuesday that his party will not bring down the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan.

  • Economic emergency-like atmosphere in Rajasthan: BJP state working committee

    By PTI

    The BJP’s Rajasthan working committee on Saturday presented a resolution criticising the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government over various issues, including law and order and farm loan waiver, and alleged that there is an “economic emergency-like atmosphere” in the state.

    In a press briefing, BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, who is part of the committee, also claimed that fiscal deficit has increased and debt has gone beyond Rs 4.57 lakh crore.

    However, Chief Minister Gehlot termed the resolution as a “bundle of lies” and claimed that the BJP is making false statements.

    On the first day of a two-day meeting of the state BJP working committee, the party presented the resolution also to express gratitude to the prime minister for the works done by the central government.

    Attacking the state government, Rathore said, “There is an economic emergency-like atmosphere in Rajasthan today under Congress rule. Fiscal deficit has increased and debt has gone beyond Rs 4.57 lakh crore.”

    “The Congress government presented three budgets, the state government did the work of reducing the annual plan in every budget, the government is in economic emergency today,” Rathore, who is deputy leader of opposition in the state assembly, said.

    He said that leaving all important issues aside, the state government is currently focused on the wedding function of Bollywood actors Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal. The wedding is taking place at Sawai Madhopur.

    Hitting out at opposition BJP for the resolution, Gehlot said the resolution is a bundle of lies. He said that after the Congress came to power in 2018, the party has won six out of 8 assembly byelections held in the state.

    This reflects the people’s faith in the governance of Congress, Gehot said. He said that the BJP candidates finished third and fourth in the bypolls, and their security money was forfeited.

    “Frightened and outraged by the defeat, the BJP state president, union ministers and other leaders keep making false statements by misusing resources,” Gehlot said.

    He tweeted that the BJP working committee’s resolution is a bundle of lies. “Only lies are written in it on every issue including farmer loan waiver, Kisan Mitra Energy Scheme, Covid management. It is beyond facts and logic,” Gehlot said.

    On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will come and will endorse this bundle of lies,” he said.

    “People of the state are intelligent. They have recognised the BJP’s character and face. In the past too, the people of Rajasthan have given a befitting reply to the home minister and this time also they will not fall in their trap, no matter how much propaganda they do,” Gehlot added. Shah will address the concluding session of the working committee meeting.

  • Loyalists gain but Sachin Pilot’s role in Rajasthan still unclear

    By Express News Service

    JAIPUR/NEW DELHI: With the cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan, the prolonged tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot looks settled for the time being. However, there is still no clarity on Pilot’s role in future and the Congress leadership will need to address this on priority to ensure long-term peace in the state unit.

    In terms of the immediate future, the Congress is likely to be a united force now as the party moves towards the next election in 2023. The reshuffle was designed to promote a collective leadership that may help to make the Congress dream of returning to power into a reality in 2023. The party high command wishes to utilise Pilot’s appeal among young voters to gain power in Rajasthan in 2023.

    In terms of Pilot’s future, there is considerable uncertainty and lack of clarity. For the moment Pilot is not holding any position either in Rajasthan or at the AICC level, but all indications are that he will soon be rehabilitated with some important AICC post.

    Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and CM Ashok Ghelot pose with new cabinet ministers after the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur on Sunday | PTI

    “He could be given a prominent role in election-bound states next year and will continue working in Rajasthan as he has made it clear to the party high command that his prime focus is home state and 2023 elections,” said a source in Delhi. Party insiders in the state, however, believe that Pilot’s prospects to become the party’s chief ministerial face in 2023 seem unlikely. 

    The big challenge for Pilot will be to take up an assignment in some other state and yet be active in Rajasthan. While he has been successful in staying within the mainstream of the party despite his rebellion last year, it remains to be seen how he will handle his relationship with Gehlot henceforth. Another tough challenge for him will be to neutralise the new faces that are being propped up by Gehlot such as state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, Raghu Sharma, Harish Chaudhari and a few other who have been given important positions in the party and now are in direct touch with the Congress high command.

  • BJP leader writes to Governor on Gehlot government’s political appointments

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Rajendra Rathore has written to Governor Kalraj Mishra, claiming that the state government is trying to appoint more MLAs to the posts of adviser to the chief minister and as parliamentary secretaries than the set constitutional limit.

    In his letter to the governor, the BJP leader said that the state government has already given office of profit to six MLAs by appointing them as advisers to the chief minister on par with cabinet or minister of state rank.

    This is unconstitutional, Rathore claimed.

    He also claimed that there are plans to appoint a dozen parliamentary secretaries on par with cabinet and minister of state rank.

    These appointments of advisers and parliamentary secretaires violate the constitutional norm that “the number of ministers in the government can be up to 15 per cent of the total assembly seats”, Rathore said.

    There are 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan.

    He alleged that the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state was intending to do so to please dissatisfied MLAs.

    Rathore’s remarks come in the backdrop of the expansion of the Gehlot cabinet in which many Congress and independent MLAs, who were expecting ministerial berths, were not accommodated.

    These legislators would be adjusted through political appointments such as parliamentary secretaries and advisers, sources had said on Sunday, when 15 new ministers were sworn in.

    “The number of ministers in the government can be up to 15 per cent of the total assembly seats according to the Constitution and it (state government) is trying to please the dissatisfied MLAs by giving them office of profit by appointing them as advisers and parliamentary secretaries, which is illegal and unconstitutional,” he said in his letter.

    Citing Articles 164 (1A), 191 (1) (A) and 246 of the Constitution and a Supreme Court decision, Rathore said that appointment of parliamentary secretaries and advisers is clearly defined.

    On the appointment of six MLAs as advisers to the chief minister, Rathore was referring to the appointment of three Congress and as many independent MLAs to the post after the Cabinet expansion on Sunday In his letter, Rathore said that the Congress has been facing infighting since it came to power in Rajasthan and now by going above the limit defined in the Constitution, is trying to please dissatisfied legislators by giving them appointments of parliamentary secretaries and advisers.

    “We demand that the governor cancel appointment of advisers to the chief minister and bind the state government to not appoint parliamentary secretaries,” Rathore said.

    Those appointed advisers are — Congress MLAs Jitendra Singh, Rajkumar Sharma and Danish Abrar, and independent MLAs Babu Lal Nagar, Sanyam Lodha and Ramkesh Meena, according to a list of the chief minister’s office.

    The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member assembly.

    It also has the support of 12 out of 13 independent MLAs.

    With the induction of 12 new ministers and elevation of three ministers from MoS to cabinet rank, the number of the ministry now has 30 members, the maximum possible for Rajasthan.

    The council of ministers has 19 cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state, apart from the chief minister.

  • Rajasthan Cabinet rejig: CM Ashok Gehlot allocates portfolios to ministers, retains home and finance

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday allocated portfolios to ministers of his expanded cabinet, retaining home and finance with him.

    Twelve new ministers were inducted and three ministers of state were elevated to the cabinet rank.

    The 15 ministers were sworn in on Sunday for the expanded Gehlot cabinet, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the state’s Congress government.

    The chief minister along with the finance and home portfolios, has kept taxation, personnel, general administration cabinet secretariat, information and public relation, and information technology and communication.

    ALSO READ: Rajasthan Cabinet expansion – Now Gehlot gets six MLAs as advisers, Mayawati calls it ‘deception’

    The department for NRI and the Rajasthan State Investigation Bureau are under Gehlot.

    Following the expansion, the council of ministers in the state has 19 cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state.

    The Rajasthan Cabinet can have a maximum of 30 ministers, including the chief minister.

    From the old cabinet — Pratap Singh Khachariyawas was allocated food and civil supplies, Shanti Dhariwal retained urban development and housing, and parliamentary affairs, Lal Chand Kataria retained agriculture and Pramod Jain Bhaya retained mines and petroleum.

    BD Kalla and Parsadi Lal Meena were allocated education, and health and excise respectively.

    ALSO READ: Work has to be done with dedication to maintain people’s trust in Congress government, says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    The new ministers who got portfolios in the cabinet rank include Hemaram Choudhary (forest), Mahesh Joshi (PHED), Ramlal Jat (revenue), Ramesh Meena (panchayati raj and rural development), Vishvendra Singh (toursim and civil aviation), Govindram Meghwal (disaster management and relief) and Shakuntala Rawat (industries) and Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya (water resources).

    Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena were sacked last year from the Rajasthan cabinet along with Pilot for rebelling against Gehlot’s leadership.

    Vishvendra Singh in this expanded cabinet got back his old portfolio of tourism.

    Pilot and 18 other MLAs rebelled against Gehlot last year.

    ALSO READ: Two sacked ministers to find place in new Rajasthan Cabinet

    Mamta Bhupesh was allocated women and child development, Bhajan Lal PWD, Tikaram Jully social justice and empowerment, as they were elevated to cabinet rank from minister of state.

    The newly inducted ministers of state and their portfolios are Brijendra Ola (transport, devasthan and state enterprises), Murari Lal Meena (agriculture marketing, estate, tourism and civil aviation) and Rajendra Singh Gudha (sainik kalyan, home guards, panchayati raj and rural development).

    Zahida Khan (science and technology, printing and stationary, primary and secondary education, art, literature and culture) is also a new minister of state in the Gehlot cabinet.

    The ministers of state from the old cabinet who retained their portfolios are Arjun Singh Bamaniya (tribal area development), Ashok Chandna (sports and youth affairs) and Subhash Garg (technical education).

    ALSO READ: Rajasthan reshuffle: Elevation to Cabinet rank reward for work and dedication, say ministers

    Those who got new portfolios are Sukhram (revenue and labour), Bhanwar Singh Bhati (power-independent charge) and Rajendra Yadav (higher education).

    In the new and expanded cabinet, the three women ministers are Mamta Bhupesh and Shakuntala Rawat (cabinet rank) and Zahida (minister of state).

    Cabinet minister Mahesh Joshi is also chief whip while Minister of State Brijendra Ola is the son of former Union minister Sisram Ola.

    Minister of State Rajendra Gudha is one of the six MLAs who defected from BSP to the Congress.

    Among the 15 ministers who took oath on Sunday, Hemaram Choudhary is the senior-most MLA.

    He is a six time MLA.

    Ramlal Jat is a four-time MLA; Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Vishvendra Singh, Ramesh Meena, Brijendra Ola and Murari Meena are three-time MLAs, while rest of the ministers who took oath on Sunday are two-time MLAs.