Gehlot’s Letter to PM Modi
Expresses Concern Over Discontinuation of Rajasthan’s Public Welfare Schemes
The Sunday Mail
Jaipur. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written a detailed letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his proposed visit to Ajmer on February 28th, expressing deep displeasure over the state of public welfare schemes in the state. Reminding the Prime Minister of his “Chittorgarh Promise,” Gehlot has demanded the reinstatement of these schemes.
Heartily welcome to Ajmer, the sacred land of Rajasthan. Through this letter, I want to draw your attention to the “guarantee” you gave to the people of Rajasthan from the sacred land of Chittorgarh on October 2, 2023. In the letter, Gehlot stated that in 2023, he had warned the people of Rajasthan that if the BJP came to power, it would discontinue the Congress government’s schemes. Then, on October 2, 2023, you clearly assured that if the BJP government is formed, none of the Congress’s public welfare schemes will be discontinued, but rather, they will be improved.” The people of Rajasthan accepted these words as “Modi’s guarantee.”
But it is deeply regrettable that the current state government is acting in direct contradiction to your promise. In the last two years, numerous state schemes that were recognized as models nationwide and implemented by many other states have either been discontinued or rendered ineffective by budget and conditional cuts. This has deeply distressed the people of Rajasthan. I would like to draw your attention to these key points:
*Right to Health:* Despite the enactment of the country’s first Right to Health Act, the current government has not implemented its rules, depriving the public of their legal right to free treatment.
*Gig Workers Welfare Act:* This revolutionary law provides for the social security of online delivery partners. It has been shelved. Neither a board has been formed, nor have the funds reached the relevant beneficiaries.
*Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence:* Along with its name change, the number of beneficiaries has been reduced from 500 to just 150, limiting the opportunities for meritorious students to study abroad.
*Indira Rasoi Yojana:* It was renamed ‘Annapurna Rasoi’, but due to mismanagement at the centers, the number of beneficiaries has been reduced to almost half of its previous level.
*Indira Gandhi Smartphone Yojana:* This scheme, which provided digital empowerment to women, has been completely discontinued in its second phase.
Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme:* This scheme, which provides 125 days of employment in cities on the lines of MNREGA, is now virtually non-existent on the ground.
*Chiranjeevi Health Insurance and RGHS:* Both schemes repeatedly face challenges due to non-payment of dues to hospitals and medical stores on time.
*Free Electricity Scheme (100 units):* It has been linked to the complex conditions of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. New consumers are not receiving its benefits, thereby eliminating relief for the middle class.
*Annapurna Ration Kits:* The distribution of these inflation-relief kits has been completely stopped.
*Indira Gandhi Credit Card Scheme:* This scheme, which provides interest-free loans of ₹50,000, has stopped accepting new applications.
Mr. Prime Minister, I would like to bring to your attention some examples of the BJP government’s shortsightedness. The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Governance and Social Sciences, built in Jaipur during our Congress government, has not been inaugurated even a year after its completion. A new coaching hub was constructed in Jaipur to bring together coaching institutes and reduce traffic congestion caused by the crowded campuses. The BJP government failed to relocate the coaching institutes nor utilize the project properly. To conceal its failure, the coaching hub was given over to the regional center of IIT Jodhpur, further exacerbating the traffic congestion in Jaipur.
Regarding medical facilities, the country’s first superspecialty IPD tower should have been completed by now, but after the change of government, not even a single new floor has been added. Satellite hospitals were announced in Kanota (Agra Road) and Achrol (Delhi Road) to ease the pressure on Jaipur city hospitals and provide prompt treatment for road accidents. Despite land allocation, the current government has canceled both these hospitals. The hospitals in Shivdaspura and Balmukundpura have not been dedicated to the public even after a year of completion.
In Jodhpur, the situation is more or less similar. Several buildings, including the Chaupasni Housing Board Hospital, Pratap Nagar Hospital, and Digari Hospital, are ready, but they haven’t been commissioned with the necessary amenities. The Rajasthan State Sports Institute in Jodhpur is ready, but coaches and specialists haven’t been appointed, nor is there any clarity regarding its inauguration. The historic Sumer Library hasn’t been commissioned even after completion. The Rajiv Gandhi Fintech Institute, being built to educate the new generation in the state, is also progressing slower than expected.
During the Congress government, the country’s most impressive riverfront was built in Kota, which garnered national and international attention. The current government has halted its maintenance and further developments.
These are just a few examples. A district-wise breakdown of Rajasthan would reveal dozens of such examples.
In a democracy, the greatest asset is the trust of the people. When you appear among the people of Ajmer on February 28th, I respectfully request that you honor your “Chittorgarh promise.”
I humbly request that in this meeting in Ajmer, you give clear instructions to the state government to restore all these public welfare schemes and canceled projects of the previous government in their original form, so that the people of Rajasthan do not feel cheated.
I hope that you will prioritize the interests of the people of Rajasthan and the dignity of your words.”
