Rajasthan Governor criticises Gehlot's 'financial mismanagement'

The Governor said the social welfare schemes which were brought in by the previous government in the past six months 'in a hurry' would be reviewed, keeping in view the 'financial burden' they cause to the state exchequer.

Jaipur: The first session of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly began today, with Governor Kalraj Mishra outlining the newly elected BJP government’s welfare agenda. His speech also had scathing remarks for the Congress government’s "fiscal misgovernance" in the last five years.

In detailing the government's plans, Mishra claimed that the Congress government had led the state into fiscal distress, returning it to the "BIMARU" category, burdened with significant debts. Referring to an RBI report, he stated that the state's current debt stands at Rs 5.59 lakh crore, up from Rs 3.39 lakh crore in 2019.

In 2019, each resident of the state carried a debt of Rs 38,782, which has now risen to Rs 70,848, nearly double the amount, according to Mishra.

He further said the social welfare schemes which were brought in by the previous government in the past six months "in a hurry" would be reviewed, keeping in view the "financial burden" they cause to the state exchequer. The schemes will be implemented at the grassroots level only after extensive evaluation, he said.

In criticizing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's flagship Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, offering cashless medical insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh to all in Rajasthan, Mishra remarked that it was merely a namesake of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, the world's largest health insurance scheme, providing coverage of Rs 5 lakh.

The BJP government has implemented changes, including renaming Indira Gandhi Rasoi to Annapurna Rasoi. The revamped program will now provide 600 gm of a meal instead of the previous 450 gm, and it will incorporate millet.

Additionally, there will be a review of Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Schools, as the BJP government believes these schools were converted into English medium institutions without adequate infrastructure or quality teachers.

The government is also set to establish Yuva Saathi Kendras to support youths experiencing depression, along with the introduction of an Anti-Gangster Task Force and Anti-Romeo Squads aimed at curbing the rising crime rate.

Responding to the BJP government's criticism of his flagship schemes, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated that these schemes received praise not only within the state but also across the country. “The present government should continue these schemes and implement them in a better way, instead they made the Governor falsely accuse the previous government, which is not right. The public will soon begin to see through this kind of narrow mentality,” Gehlot retorted.