Residents of Rajasthan should focus on making it country’s leading state by 2030: CM Gehlot

Jaipur, Aug 22 (PTI) Lauding Rajasthan’s progress in all sectors, including health and education, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said every resident should focus on making it the country’s leading state by 2030.

Speaking at a programme to launch “Rajasthan-Mission 2030” at the Birla auditorium here, the chief minister said the ‘Mission 2030’ should be on everyone’s agenda.

Gehlot said under this initiative, views will be sought from people across all sections, subject experts, students, businesses, traders, intellectuals and employees till September 15 to prepare the “Vision 2030” document for Rajasthan by the end of the month.

“The idea of ‘Mission 2030’ came because we have come to such a situation today where we have progressed a lot. We are to exploit several minerals available here. Crude oil is being explored and a refinery is being set up in Barmer. We are ahead in sectors of education and health,” he said.

Gehlot added that Rajasthan was fast surpassing Gujarat in road construction and an excellent network of roads and highways is being laid in the state. A total of 1.4 lakh kilometres of roads has been laid in the last five years, he added.

“This mission is for all residents of Rajasthan, be it students, authors or opposition parties. This is not a personal agenda, it should be everyone’s agenda,” he said.

Around 50 years ago, Gehlot said, famines and water crises were frequent but now, things have changed and the state has progressed.

“What do we not have here in Rajasthan? IIT, IIM and IIIT are there. Medical colleges are being set up in every district. We are ahead in education and medical services,” he said.

The chief minister said, “It is the duty of everyone to dream and that is why we have launched this to dream of Rajasthan’s future.”

He also targeted the Centre on the occasion for not giving a national project status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). If the Centre is obstinate, then “I am also determined to complete the ERCP project in the state”, Gehlot added.

He urged people from all walks of life to give their suggestions for ‘Mission 2030’.