News Analysis India

Tag: Gehlot Government

  • Ahead of Rajasthan Cabinet rejig, Ajay Maken meets MLAs individually 

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Congress leader Ajay Maken Wednesday began a series of meetings with party MLAs and those supporting it for their feedback on the performance of the Ashok Gehlot government ahead of the state Cabinet reshuffle.

    As Maken began the two-day exercise in the assembly building here, Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria said the Congress leadership holding one-on-one discussions with MLAs indicates the state government is not able to function well.

    The AICC general secretary (Rajasthan in-charge) will hold discussions with party MLAs and those supporting it over the reshuffle exercise, political appointments and the naming of district and block presidents of the party.

    Sources said the MLAs are meeting Maken individually under district-wise slots allotted to them.

    The brainstorming session began with the MLAs from Jaipur.

    “Discussions on various points including the achievements of the government and what else can be done to enhance its performance were held,” Adarsh Nagar MLA (Jaipur) Rafeek Khan told reporters after the meeting.

    He said the implementation of the CM Chiranjeevi Health Insurance scheme was also discussed.

    On the first day on Wednesday, MLAs from Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Alwar, Baran, Dausa, Karauli, Sawaimadhopur, Bharatpur, Bundi, Kota and Dholpur are scheduled to meet Maken, party sources said.

    The MLAs of the remaining district will meet him Thursday.

    Civil Lines MLA and Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khacharyiawas said the Congress is a democratic party and its high command hears all its members.

    “Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said to us that he is our guardian.

    Maken is also holding meetings as a guardian,” he said, adding thee is no internal dispute in the party and discussions were held on welfare schemes and their implementation.

    On the Cabinet reshuffle, he said it is the prerogative of the chief minister and the final decision has been left to the party high command.

    Chaksu MLA Vedprakash Solanki, a vocal Sachin Pilot loyalist, said he has apprised Maken of all the issues and is satisfied that the party high command is now listening to all legislators.

    “I gave my suggestions and whatever I had to say, I told him. I am satisfied that our viewpoint is now being communicated directly to the party high command. Now, the high command is not listing only us, but listening to all MLAs,” Solanki said.

    The Congress came to power in December 2018 and has completed half of the tenure.

    Leader of Opposition Kataria said if the “ruling party has this level of dispute that one-on-one meetings with MLAs are required, the government cannot function well”.

    “Such governments are not able to function well and cannot do well for the people,” he said.

    He also questioned the government’s decision to hold the dialogues with the MLAs in the assembly building.

    “In order to maintain the sanctity of the assembly, the Congress party should have organised this exercise somewhere else,” he said.

    In the house of 200, the Congress has 106 MLAs and most of the 13 independents support it.

    On Saturday night, Maken and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal had held a meeting with Chief Minister Gehlot over the Cabinet reshuffle.

    On Sunday, Maken had said there is no dispute on the Cabinet reshuffle in the state and the decision regarding this has been left to the party high command.

    The party’s central leadership will take the final call about the cabinet reshuffle, he had said, adding he will take feedback from the MLAs on all issues and will give a report to the party high command.

    The reshuffle may take place in the next few days.

    Apart from the Cabinet reshuffle, political appointments in various Boards and Corporations and appointments of district and block presidents of the party will also take place soon.

    Pilot and several other MLAs had mounted an open rebellion against Gehlot last June. After a month-long crisis, the Congress top brass had formed a committee to look into the issues raised by Pilot, who alleged that his camp was being sidelined by the Gehlot government.

    Earlier this week, Pilot told reporters that he was in touch with the Congress high command to resolve the issues raised by him and that the “AICC is taking steps for the betterment of the government and party organisation”.

  • Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot to introduce social security scheme for dependents of those who succumbed to Covid

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: The Gehlot Government has decided to introduce Social Security Scheme in Rajasthan for families whose earning member has died of Corona. The scheme also includes those children who have been orphaned in this pandemic.

    On Saturday, a meeting of the Council of Ministers discussed Social Security Policy regarding this. Later, the Chief Minister announced that the policy will be launched soon. 

    Gehlot has delegated the task to the relevant departments to bring social security policy for dependents on priority. According to official figures, so far 7703 deaths have occurred in the state from Corona. However, sources say that in reality, the actual figure is much more than the official number. 

     Government sources say that under the Social Security policy the family will be helped in the event of death of the earning member of the household. Several departments will work together to form this policy, in which the schemes and programs of different departments will be combined and help the affected families. All the concerned departments including the Social Justice and Empowerment Department will jointly prepare the blueprint of the new scheme.

    “Work is underway to provide a package of personal benefits to the family of the deceased including cheaper rations, widow pension, giving money to the children every month under the ‘Palanhaar’ scheme.” said a senior officer in the Social Justice and Empowerment Dept. 

     Moreover, children below the age of 18 years who have lost their parents will be given the benefit of the ‘Palanhaar Yojana.’, in which there is a provision to provide assistance of 500 rupees per month to children up to 5 years. After this, there is a provision to give 1000 rupees every month to children up to the age of 18 years. To give the benefit of the Palanhar scheme, the government has started a survey of the families of those who died from Corona. 

     The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has given the task to the districts to prepare applications for their Palanhaar scheme after conducting a survey. The deadline has also been fixed to start payment within one month of the arrival of the application. 

    As COVID-19 devastates countless families in India, the plight of orphans who have lost both parents to the disease, has been particularly heart-wrenching.

    The New Indian Express (TNIE) has been reflecting many of these stories. There are three such stories from Rajasthan.

    The story of Kota sisters, Urvi,12 and Krati,5, lost their parents in the space of a day. While the young girls are stunned into silence and their grandparents are simply overwhelmed by the huge tragedy that has hit them in their old age.

    Among the countless orphans of Covid-19 are Supriya, 16, and Bindiya,13, who lost their father and mother in the space of just three days last month. Covid-19 first struck their 45-year old father Vijay Joshi on April 24. Three days later, mother Ranjana’s condition also took a turn for the worse.

    After wailing endlessly for a few days, the sisters are now being taken care of by their uncle.

    In another incident, Poorvi and Riya lost their parents Shyam and Mahima Maheshwari. They ran a hostel for students who come to Kota for coaching and lost the battle with Corona in the space of 10 days, leaving the sisters extremely vulnerable.