Rajasthan government misusing resources for PM's visit: Gehlot

AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said government machinery and crores of rupees are being wasted to collect crowds for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Jaipur on July 7, the schedule of which is yet to be made official.

The state officials have been given targets to bring in a huge number of beneficiaries of government-run schemes from the rural areas of Rajasthan for Modi's address, Gehlot said at a press conference.

In the entire process, government resources in the form of officials, vehicles and funds are openly being misutilised, incurring heavy losses to the state exchequer, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader added.

According to BJP sources, this time Modi's gathering will have around 2.29 lakh people who are beneficiaries of different government schemes. The responsibility to bring in these people has been given to MLAs, ministers and MPs.

Referring to the Smart City Project as the Prime Minister's favourite scheme, Gehlot said Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer and Kota were included in the list of cities to be converted into smart cities.

However, the real status of smartness of these cities still remains unknown to the people and Modi will have to make a visit there to know the reality of the project, the Congress leader said.

He also questioned the step-motherly treatment meted out to Jodhpur, which is the second biggest city of Rajasthan and the native place of Gehlot, for being left out from the list of Smart Cities.

Gehlot said during his Jaipur visit, Modi should tell the people why he left out Jodhpur.

--IANS

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