Rajasthan government service centres to be renamed after Rajiv Gandhi: CM Gehlot

The Rajasthan government is all set to rename the Atal Seva Kendra as Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra (RGSK). The service centres are set up at 9,852 gram panchayats and 295 panchayat samitis in the state.

The BJP government had passed an order on December 28, 2014, renaming the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras as Atal Seva Kendra (ASK). In January 2018, the Rajasthan high court had set aside the government order of renaming the service centres.

Speaking over an adjournment motion raised by independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday said, “We have already given the directions and the process of changing name is in process. There was no justification in changing the name of RGSK to ASK – in five years of BJP government at state and Centre, what they have done is just changing of names. Gandhi is awarded with Bharat Ratna and also PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, but then too, we said after forming the government, we will rename it as Rajiv Gandhi-Atal Seva Kendra. But looking to the high court orders and its compulsions it will be renamed as RGSK.”

Lodha had demanded the CM rename ASK as RGSK as even the court order directs the same as the state government’s administrative orders cannot cancel the Centre’s notification.

Meanwhile, the opposition tried to corner the government over swine flu in the assembly. Former health Minister Kali Charan Saraf said the flu is getting out of control and Rajasthan has the most number of swine flu cases and deaths in the country. He said despite the CM’S direction the isolation wards for swine flu patients at hospitals have not been set up, and the doctors are on leave.

However, health minister Raghu Sharma refuted all the charges stating that the member are not updated – as regular screening is conducted, task force meetings are held regularly and a special three day campaign is being conducted.

Education minister Govind Singh Dotasara assured the house that vacant posts in the department will soon be filled in order to improve the education quality and employment to youth.

Replying to a supplementary question by Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, he said, “The last government in the last year of its government’s tenure released vacancies without fulfilling the formalities. Our government is committed to fill the vacancies and improve the education quality. Due to wrong policies of the previous government the graph of quality education had declined.”

Regarding the vacancies till January 1, 2019, he said there are 58,324 vacant posts in the department, which include principal (1,642), head master (1,158), lecturer (9,912), senior teacher (13,990), physical education of grade I, II and III (5,776), Grade III teacher of Level 1 and 2 (25,846).

MLAS from Sambhar, Balotra and Beawar demand to make these areas as districts looking to geographical boundaries. Revenue Minister Harish Choudhary assured to take necessary steps looking to the report.

First Published: Jan 22, 2019 13:31 IST