JAIPUR: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the formation of a high-level committee to study the demand for new districts. This committee will submit its report within six months.
Gehlot said a large number of MLAs have given memorandums demanding new districts and now a committee would look into it and study the merits and demerits. He was replying to the debate on the Budget in the assembly on Thursday. A number of MLAs have demanded creation of new districts and Pachparda MLA Madan Prajawat even refused to wear his footwear after the Budget was presented on February 23 till his demand to make Balotra a district was met.
Refuting the charge of the Opposition the government was surviving on loans and debt, the chief minister said the state government cannot take loans without the permission of the Centre. The Centre allows taking loans after considering various parameters. In his speech, Gehlot also made a number of announcements, including Rs 10 crore for roads in each assembly constituency separately for repairs.
Replying to Opposition leader Gulab Chand Kataria who expressed doubts on implementating Budget announcements, the CM said the government has issued approvals for 60 of the 500 announcements made in the Budget.
He said 85% of the previous year's announcements have been fulfilled and 71% of the party manifesto executed in three years.
"We have consulted thousands of people before the Budget. The Budget is the 'Amrut' (nectar) which came out of brainstorming sessions and churning. Since the Opposition had nothing to say in our Budget, they made derogatory statements like ‘black bride' paraded as ‘beauty' after make-up," he said, pointing to Satish Poonia's controversial comment.
The CM said the centre was not giving the full share of money to the state on time from the collective pool. This year too, the state got Rs 19,000 crore less from the Centre. Last year also, they reduced Rs 15,000 crore, he said.
The CM also refuted the charge by deputy leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore the state had availed overdraft. He said, "Our government did not take overdraft even once. Money has been taken only as per the recommendation of RBI under ‘ways and means', which is cheaper." tnn
