Government in process of providing over 1 lakh jobs: CM Ashok Gehlot

JAIPUR: In just over one year, the state is in various stages of processing over 1 lakh government jobs, chief minister Ashok Gehlot stated on Thursday. He was replying to a debate on the governor’s address in the Assembly on Thursday.
“We have appointed 34,283 people so far. The results of recruitment have been declared or are in the process for another 34,527 posts. Further, advertisements have been issued for 45,773 more posts,” the chief minister said, while replying to a question by Opposition leader Gulab Chand Kataria on his party’s poll promise of providing 1 lakh jobs in a year.
Gehlot said the Centre has deprived the state government of Rs 17,000 crore on various counts.
Despite the governor’s address not referring to Barmer refinery, Gehlot said it continues to be top priority of his government.
“So far, work orders worth Rs 20,393 crore have been issued,” he said.
He blamed the previous BJP government of diluting the state’s share in the refinery project.
The chief minister said the ambitious Rajasthan Eastern Canal Project (RECP) to provide drinking water to 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan would be taken up by his government. The Rs 37,000-crore river-linking project was proposed during the previous Raje government.
Claiming credit for the farm loan waiver, Gehlot said that his government had announced a relief of up to Rs 2 lakh on individual farm loans, and waived off all farm loans of the cooperative sector irrespective of the amount.
He said about 9,000 farmers out of the 20 lakh beneficiaries had loans of over Rs 2 lakh.
But the CM said the government was not able to waive loans taken from commercial banks and had sought the cooperation of Centre for a one-time settlement of loans. The Centre though has not given a reply yet. “In Chhattisgarh, the banks themselves had come forward for a one-time settlement and it can be done in the state as well.”
On power tariff hike, Gehlot said 57% of the consumers have been kept outside the purview of the revised rates. He reiterated that there was no tariff hike for agriculture connections in the next four years and the same would be borne by the state.
The government was able to tackle the locust menace and it was appreciated by the Centre, he said, adding that his government had now given Rs 500 crore to agriculture insurance firms for providing crop insurance cover for farmers.