News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan Government

  • Centre trying best to reduce fuel prices, but onus also on state government: Union Minister Smriti Irani in Rajasthan

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday said the Centre is trying its best to reduce fuel prices and the Rajasthan government should also do its part.

    “While the Centre is trying its best to reduce the fuel prices, the Ashok Gehlot government in the state has enough allocation to reduce fuel prices. Now, it is up to him how much burden he wants to reduce on the people of the state,” Irani told reporters at a press conference here.

    The Rajasthan government had recently reduced the value-added tax (VAT) rate by two per cent on petrol and diesel.

    Responding to a separate query, the BJP leader said even the Congress’ students’ wing is now collecting money for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

    She took a dig at the Congress, saying the party had once submitted an affidavit questioning the existence of Lord Ram.

    On the farmers’ issues, Irani said 11 rounds of talks have already been held between the government and farmers.

    “As our (Union Agriculture) minister said, we are ready to talk with them (farmers),” she said.

    Irani, who holds textiles and women and child development portfolios, said the 2021-22 Union budget will play a key role in the nation-building.

    “Rs 2.23 lakh crore were allocated to strengthen the health infrastructure. The prime minister has allocated capital expenditure of Rs 1 lakh crore for construction of road. Through Ujjwala Scheme, eight lakh families were provided clean energy. And in this budget it was announced that one crore more families will be connected,” she said.

  • Rajasthan govt launches campaign to make state ‘beggar-free’

    By ANI
    JAIPUR: A campaign for ‘beggar-free’ Rajasthan has been started in Jaipur, where beggars are being rehabilitated with the joint efforts of Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) and Sopan Institute of Science, Technology and Management.

    Currently, 43 beggars hailing from different states including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha who were living in Jaipur, have been provided a shelter where Yoga, sports, and computer classes are being imparted to them.

    Talking about the campaign Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation Chairman Niraj Kumar Pawan told ANI, “The Chief Minister of Rajasthan wanted to make the state beggar-free and rehabilitate the beggars. The RLSDC with the joint efforts of the Rajasthan Police conducted a survey on beggars in Jaipur. Then we opened ‘Kaushal Vardhan Kendra’ where beggars in the batches of 20 are being skill-trained. Following this, they shall be provided with jobs. Once it succeeds in Jaipur, it will be further taken to other districts of the state. We guarantee jobs for them after their training period and we expect to make them better citizens of this country through this campaign.”

    A Yoga trainer at the shelter said that the experience of training them is totally different from regular ones because they have to keep many things in mind while training them.

    “They already have many health issues, so we had to conduct a study by talking to each one of them, to understand their physical and mental health issues. Thereafter, we came up with a customised plan to train them. We have included lot of activities in the plan. We have specifically included yoga asanas that can strengthen their physical fitness irrespective of their illnesses.”

    “Other physical activities that are being conducted for them include sports like football and frisbee. It has been 15 days since they started undergoing physical activity sessions and many of them have started improving their health,” stated the yoga trainer.

    Speaking about the amenities given to them as part of the campaign, Dhanna Lal Teli, a beggar hailing from Bhilwara said, “We wake up at 5 in the morning, get tea at 7, breakfast at 8 then undergo yoga sessions for an hour following which receive lunch at 12. I am very happy here and receiving full care.”

    An official from the Sopan Institute of Science, Technology, and Management involved in the campaign said that the initiative is a part of the Chief Minister’s BHOR scheme – Bhikshu Orientation and Rehabilitation for poor and homeless people. Under this campaign, the beggars will be kept for three and a half months and shall be imparted skill training. The aim of the campaign is to give them a dignified life.

    He further stated that as part of the campaign, it is being planned to get the Aadhar cards made and open the bank accounts of these beggars. The Rajasthan government has also committed to paying them 215 rupees per day which they can save and later on invest in their future business plans. All efforts are being made towards their holistic development, added the official. 

  • Rajasthan government okays over Rs 8 crore for CCTV cameras at police stations

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government on Friday sanctioned Rs 8.40 crore for the installation of CCTV cameras at police stations of the state.

    The total cost of the project is nearly 17 crore and the government okayed the funds for the first phase.

    It has been decided to set up state and district-level monitoring committees to oversee the work and complete it in a time-bound manner, an official statement said.

    The project was approved by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on proposals from the Home and Finance Departments.

    He directed that CCTV cameras should be installed at all major places, including entry and exit points in all police stations.

    According to the approved proposal, a state-level monitoring committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the principal secretary, home.

    Similarly, district-level monitoring committees will be constituted under the chairmanship of divisional commissioners.

  • Rajasthan government sets up special cell to nab corrupt officials

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: In a bid to tighten the noose around corrupt officials, the Rajasthan Government has decided to a create a special cell in the personnel department that will closely monitor suspected corrupt and irresponsible officials in the state. This comes a day after two senior Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officials were trapped by Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) while they were taking huge bribes in return of promised favours.

    In recent months, the ACB has been on a massive campaign against corrupt officials in the state at the behest of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The new cell has also been created on his initiative and the information was conveyed by the CM himself while addressing the collectors of the state via a video conference. CM Gehlot stated that a cell within the department of personnel will be formed “to look into complaints of indiscipline and corruption against government officials and anyone found guilty will be punished severely.”

    It may be noted that on Wednesday, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau had trapped two senior RAS officials taking bribes of 10 and 5 lakhs each in a single day. The two officials were SDM of Bandikui Pinky Meena and Dausa SDM Pushkar Mittal. According to the ACB, both the SDMs were arrested for demanding bribes from a construction contractor under the Bharat Mata project of laying down the Delhi Mumbai Express Highway. The ACB conducted the action on the basis of a complaint which they received against the two officials who were caught red-handed on Wednesday.

    Highly placed sources in the ACB confirmed that several police, administrative and revenue officials in Dausa are under the radar of the bureau. They say that there is strong evidence to suggest that some officials are taking monthly bribes of 2 lakhs each from construction companies under various developmental projects. The ACB is likely to take strong action against some of these officials in the near future.

    Meanwhile, the two senior RAS officials trapped by the ACB taking bribes of 5 lakhs each on Wednesday, were presented before a local court in Jaipur today. The two officials have now been sent to judicial custody for 15 days.

    In addition, a middleman named Neeraj Meena has also been arrested in this case by the ACB and sent to police custody for two days. The middleman had allegedly demanded a bribe of 38 lakhs on behalf of the Dausa SP. The ACB is conducting more detailed investigations into this shocking case.

  • Supreme Court directs Rajasthan government to conduct inquiry into search conducted by jail authorities

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday directed the Rajasthan government to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into the incident of rioting and assault that happened at the Jaipur jail during the search operation in 2019.

    A bench comprising Justices NV Ramana, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Das passed the order while hearing a plea filed by an accused seeking bail in a case relating to rioting and assault to deter a public servant from discharge of duty.

    The court noted that the allegation against the petitioner is that while opposing the search being conducted by the jail authorities in Jaipur, he along with other inmates, assaulted the jail staff on March 30, 2019.

    The petitioner while refuting these allegations, claimed that he was given merciless beatings by the jail authorities which is self-evident from the Medical Report dated April 6, 2019.

    The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner had made a complaint to the Judicial Magistrate in respect of the 11 injuries suffered by him while in custody and pursuant thereto an inquiry was ordered.

    However, the fate of the inquiry is not known.

    The Advocate General told the apex court that the complaint was investigated by the Police and a report has been submitted to the Magistrate.

    In its order, the bench said “Taking into consideration the peculiar facts and circumstances of the instant case, and particularly the fact that the petitioner has suffered 11 injuries while in custody, we think it is a fit case to grant him bail,” the bench said.

    It also said, “Be that as it may, in view of the nature of allegations made by the petitioner against the jail authorities, even though a report is said to have been submitted to the Magistrate by the Police, we direct the State Government to conduct a fact-finding inquiry by a Senior IAS Officer of the State cadre and take appropriate action against the jail/police officers/officials who will be found guilty in such inquiry.”