Satish Poonia said on Tuesday that his party will not bring down the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan.
Tag: Rajasthan
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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.
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Rajasthan Cabinet expanded: 15 ministers sworn in
By PTI
JAIPUR: Fifteen ministers 11 cabinet and four ministers of state were sworn in on Sunday in Rajasthan, in a much-awaited expansion of the Ashok Gehlot ministry.
Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath of office to the new ministers.
The 11 cabinet ministers include three Mamta Bhupesh, Bhajan Lal Jatav and Tikaram Jully– who have been elevated from minister of state (MoS) to cabinet rank, while two — Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena — are those who were sacked last year for rebelling and have been reinducted as cabinet ministers.
Hemaram Choudhary, Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Ramlal Jat, Mahesh Joshi, Govindram Meghwal and Shakuntla Rawat were also sworn in as cabinet ministers.
Zahida, Brijendra Singh Ola, Rajendra Gudha and Murari Lal Meena were sworn in as MoS.
The council of ministers in Rajasthan now has 19 cabinet ministers and 10 MoS, apart from the chief minister.
Chief Minister Gehlot and members of his council of ministers were among those present at the function.
The number in the council of ministers in the the state has reached 30.
The Rajasthan Cabinet can have a maximum of 30 ministers, including the chief minister.
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Work has to be done with dedication to maintain people’s trust in Congress government: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
By PTI
JAIPUR: Congratulating the MLAs who are going to take oath as ministers, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that work has to be done with dedication to maintain the trust of the people in the Congress government.
Fifteen ministers- 11 cabinet and four ministers of state (MoS)- will take oath at the Raj Bhawan at 4 pm on Sunday.
The 11 cabinet ministers include three who have been elevated from MoS to cabinet rank.
Gehlot said that his government in the last 35 months has worked to deliver transparent, sensible and good governance and had taken the state forward on the path of development, despite adverse circumstances.
“The people have endorsed the good governance of our government by making the Congress win in the assembly bye-elections and local bodies elections held during our tenure. We all have to maintain this trust of the public in the times to come. For this, work has to be continued with full hard work and dedication,” he tweeted.
He said that the Congress will work on the agenda of development and expressed confidence that the party will win the 2023 assembly elections.
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Ahead of oath taking ceremony, Rajasthan Congress leaders, legislators meet at state party office
By PTI
JAIPUR: Rajasthan Congress leaders, including the MLAs who are going to take oath as ministers on Sunday, assembled at party’s state office here for a meeting.
Those who are going to be sworn-in as ministers were felicitated at the the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) office by state chief Govind Singh Dotasra.
Besides Dotasra, Chief minister Ashok Gehlot and AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken addressed them.
From the RPCC office, they will head to the Raj Bhawan for the oath taking ceremony, which will take place at 4 pm.
Ministers in Congress-ruled Rajasthan had resigned during a meeting at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence here on Saturday evening, ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle.
Fifteen ministers- 11 cabinet and four ministers of state (MoS)- will take oath.
The 11 cabinet ministers include three who have been elevated from MoS to cabinet rank.
Only three ministers– Govind Singh Dotasra, Harish Chaudhary and Raghu Sharma– have been dropped while other ministers have been retained in the Ashok Gehlot cabinet.
In addition to them, 12 new ministers are being inducted.
With the induction of 12 new ministers, the number of council of ministers in the the state will reach 30.
The council of ministers in Rajasthan can have a maximum of 30 ministers, including the chief minister.
PTI SDA Apart from Dotasra, Chief minister Ashok Gehlot and AICC general secretary in charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken addressed them at the PCC.
15 ministers- 11 cabinet and 4 ministers of state- will take oath at the ceremony to be held at Raj Bhawan at 4 pm.
11 cabinet ministers include three who have been elevated from MoS to cabinet rank.
Only three ministers—Govind Singh Dotasra, Harish Chaudhary and Raghu Sharma— have been dropped while other ministers have been retained in the Ashok Gehlot cabinet.
In addition to them, 12 new ministers are being inducted.
With the induction of 12 new ministers, the number of council of ministers in the Congress ruled Rajasthan will reach 30.
The council of ministers in Rajasthan can have a maximum of 30 ministers, including the chief minister.
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Two sacked ministers to find place in new Rajasthan Cabinet
By PTI
JAIPUR: After being sacked as cabinets ministers for raising a banner of revolt against the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot last year, Ramesh Meena and Vishvendra Singh are set to be included in the Rajasthan cabinet on Sunday.
They are among 15 ministers who are going to take oath at 4 am at the Raj Bhawan here.
While Meena said the issues, which were raised by him earlier, have been addressed and there is no resentment, Singh has refrained from talking to the media.
Both of them are from eastern Rajasthan and were sacked along with the then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot in July last year.
“We had met the party high command and had raised certain points which were about increasing representation from eastern Rajasthan and promoting ST leaders. I am happy that the issues have been addressed and we will be working hard to ensure the party’s victory in the 2023 assembly elections,” Meena told reporters.
He said the directions given by the party high command and the chief minister will be followed.
While Meena was the Food and Civil Supply minister, Vishvendra Singh was Tourism Minister when they were sacked.
Asked about the portfolio he is expected to get, Meena said it is the prerogative of the chief minister and he will work hard and with honesty.
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Rajasthan reshuffle: Elevation to Cabinet rank reward for work and dedication, say ministers
By PTI
JAIPUR: Three ministers of state in Rajasthan who have been elevated to cabinet rank on Sunday said the promotion was reward for their work and dedication.
Bhajan Lal Jatav, Mamta Bhupesh and Tikaram Jully have been elevated to cabinet rank, who along with 12 new ministers will be taking oath at 4 pm at Raj Bhawan.
All three ministers are Dalit faces in the state cabinet.
“I have worked with honesty and dedication in the department of home guards and civil defence. I am thankful to the party high command and chief minister for recognising my work and promoting me,” Jatav told reporters.
I will try my best to stand true to their expectations, he said.
Bhupesh said she worked to deliver good governance and fulfil the agenda of the government that has been recognised.
“My agenda was to deliver good governance and to take the state government’s policies and programmes to the people. People are happy with the Congress government’s works and we are fully confident that the government will repeat (its victory in 2018 assembly polls) in the 2023 elections,” she said.
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Women representation to increase in Rajasthan Cabinet with induction of two new faces
By PTI
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Cabinet will see the induction of two new women members on Sunday.
Shakuntala Rawat and Zahida are set to take oath as new ministers while Mamta Bhupesh will be taking oath as cabinet minister after elevation to cabinet rank from minister of state, taking the total number of women in the Ashok Gehlot cabinet to three.
Fifteen out of the total 108 Congress MLAs in the House of 200 are women.
“There was indeed a need to increase the participation of women in the cabinet. I am happy that two new faces will be inducted,” Bhupesh told reporters.
“Congress party promotes women. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had taken the initiative to empower women and women leadership,” she said.
Zahida said that it was a good sign that participation of women has increased.
“I am happy that women are being prompted and given opportunities. I will try my best to fulfil the responsibility given to me,” she said.
Fifteen new Rajasthan ministers will take oath at 4 pm on Sunday at the Raj Bhavan here as part of the Cabinet reshuffle, officials said.
The ministers include 11 Cabinet ministers and four ministers of state (MoS).
The new Rajasthan cabinet will see 12 new faces, including five from the Sachin Pilot camp, in the reshuffle.
This is the first cabinet reshuffle of the Gehlot government which came to power in December 2018.
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Private tutor arrested for raping 6-year-old girl in Rajasthan’s Kota: Police
By PTI
KOTA: A private tutor has been arrested on charges of raping a six-year-old girl in Kotsuwa village of this Rajasthan district, police said on Monday.
A special court dealing with cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has remanded accused Abdul Rahim (43) in judicial custody, they added.
Rahim used to give private tuition in Urdu to children and live in a room allotted by a local madrasa. He hails from Rampura in Kota, police said.
The parents of the six-year-old girl got a complaint lodged against the accused at the Digod police station late on Sunday, alleging that Rahim asked her to stay back at the madrasa while asking the other students to leave after the class on Saturday afternoon and subsequently, raped her.
On reaching home, the girl narrated her ordeal to her parents, police said. The accused was arrested soon after the case was lodged, they said, adding that he has been booked under Indian Penal Code section 376 (rape) and the relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
The girl was sent for medical examination and her statement was recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), police said.
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No kidding: In mock session in Rajasthan Assembly, children hold dharna, stage walkout
By PTI
JAIPUR: Children took over the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha for an hour on Sunday, holding a mock assembly session that captured the spirit of the real thing — including the odd disruption and an opposition walkout.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, a witness to many such scenes for real in Parliament, was present at the make-believe event organised to mark the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Instead of the 200 real-life MLAs, that many children aged between six and 16 took part in the “special session.”
Jahnvi Sharma occupied the Speaker’s chair and took the House through Question Hour, Zero Hour and the other proceedings.
Other children acted out the roles of the chief minister, ministers, Leader of the Opposition and the members who sat on the Opposition and the Treasury benches.
During Question Hour, the children sought replies from the pretend ministers mainly on issues related to children and the youth.
A plan to curb child marriages and action against the availability of drugs near educational institutions were among the issues raised.
Although tame by real-life standards, there were also disruptions in the proceedings and a few opposition MLAs did hold a dharna over drug trafficking in the well of the House.
That ended with an assurance that the state government will act against the menace.
During Zero Hour, a member demanded a debate on the internet shutdowns ordered by authorities during competitive exams, saying they created problems for common people.
The child-member also accused the state government of shutting down the internet to hide its own administrative failures.
In a familiar scenario, the mock opposition staged a walkout demanding a minister’s reply.
They relented when the minister agreed to do so during the current session.
The adverse impact of mobile phones was discussed.
So was the need to provide free resources to students and teachers for online education.
The children sat at places which their real-life role models occupy in the House from the Speaker’s chair, the front rows for the ministers and the senior MLAs to the back benches for the first-timers.
Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, several ministers and Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria watched the children play them.
Addressing the children before the session began, Gehlot highlighted the importance of democracy and the role the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and others played in strengthening it Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla praised the initiative and said active public participation was needed to strengthen democracy.
Joshi said it was a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country and the 200 children were selected from among 5,500 from 15 states who had submitted their entries online.