Gehlot urges Modi to keep promise on Cong-era schemes

Jaipur: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ajmer on Saturday, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot has written to the PM, urging him to keep his election-campaign promise that no welfare scheme started by the Congress govt in Rajasthan would be discontinued or diluted if the BJP govt came to power in the state.In his letter, Gehlot reminded PM Modi of this promise he made at an election rally in Chittorgarh on Oct 2, 2023. "The people of Rajasthan accepted those words as ‘Modi ki Guarantee'," Gehlot wrote, expressing regret that the state govt was doing "exactly opposite" of that promise.
Gehlot urged the PM to issue clear instructions during his Ajmer visit that the Congress govt's schemes should be restored in their original form, so that people "do not feel cheated".Listing specific concerns, Gehlot said the Right to Health Act was not implemented due to its rules not notified by the state govt, and so was the Gig Workers Welfare Act.Gehlot stated that the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence saw its beneficiary count reduced from 500 to 150, while Indira Rasoi Yojana, renamed as Annapurna Rasoi, saw a significant drop in beneficiaries due to alleged mismanagement. Similarly, he wrote, the Indira Gandhi Smartphone Yojana was discontinued in its 2nd phase, while the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme saw negligible implementation. Gehlot also raised concerns about the Annapurna Ration Kit and the Indira Gandhi Credit Card Scheme, the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme and RGHS, and said his govt's free 100-unit electricity scheme was linked to the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, restricting its benefits to new consumers.