If Congress again forms govt in Rajasthan, schemes will be further strengthened: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur, Feb 22 (PTI) Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said that if the Congress is reelected in Rajasthan, the party’s government would further strengthen existing programmes such as the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme.

He also attacked the BJP, the main Opposition party in the state, saying “these people stop the work of old schemes as soon as the government changes”.

The chief minister, after a meeting to discuss time-bound completion of programmes announced in the Budget-2023, told reporters that “if my (Congress) government repeats, schemes like the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme will be strengthened”.

This was the last budget of the present government as the state is going to assembly elections later this year. Rajasthan has not repeated a government in nearly three decades.

Referring to the delay in the Barmer refinery project, Gehlot said losses occur if there is a change in government after every five years.

“If the government had not changed, by now the refinery would have been completed, the petrochemical complex would have been completed, production would have started, lakhs of people would have been benefited. This is the disadvantage of changing governments,” he said.

“These people (the BJP) stop the work of old schemes as soon as the government changes. We do not stop the work of any of their plans… Our approach is different. That’s why I repeatedly ask the public to get our government repeated so that schemes that I have brought this time can be strengthened in the coming times,” Gehlot, a senior Congress leader, said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s recent visit to Rajasthan, he said this will continue as “they (the BJP) don’t have any other work to do”.

The chief minister claimed that plans and programmes brought by his government would soon be part of manifestoes of political parties across country.

“I want that I work as the ‘pratham sevak'” and keep on bringing “wonderful” schemes that otherwise would have never come, he said.

Gehlot also accused Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of being involved in the alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam.

Shekhawat is trying to mislead the public, while the Special Operation Group (SOG) probe has accused him under the same sections as the other arrested accused, the chief minister said.

Gehlot demanded Enforcement Directorate action in the case. “Shekhawat, his father, his wife and his brothers-in-law… accused in this,” Gehlot said.

“Several people are lodged in jail. The prime minister should get the allegations probed against him (Shekhawat),” the Congress leader said.

During the meeting on budget announcements, Gehlot directed officials for timely their implementation and said his government is committed to take its welfare schemes to everyone.

According to an official statement, he said that all the departments should work with mutual coordination to ensure successful implementation. He said that in the budget, all sections of the society have been taken care of.

Out of the 2,722 announcements of the last four budgets, approval for more than 95 per cent has been issued, he said.

The chief minister said that officers and employees play an important role in the successful implementation of budget announcements.

State officials and employees have done commendable work in putting public welfare schemes on the ground, he said.

Chief Secretary Usha Sharma said that all departments are working to implement budget announcements in a timely manner.