We're fulfilling people's dreams: Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in his Independence Day address Thursday, said his government was committed to fulfilling the dreams of the people of the state despite difficult geographical and social conditions.

"We have provided a transparent and responsive government, and are trying to work for the development of the state," Gehlot said after unfurling the national flag at a ceremony in Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on the occasion of India's 67th Independence Day.

Gehlot highlighted schemes his government had introduced, and said wheat was being provided at the rate of Re.1 per kg to people living below the poverty line in the state.

"We are also providing free medicine and free medical diagnostic tests to all, BPL as well as APL (above poverty line), in the state," he said.

"We have launched a new scheme under which the state is bearing all the expenses of boarding and lodging for senior citizens undertaking pilgrimage trips to selected destinations," Gehlot said.

The chief minister said his government had launched the Chief Minister BPL Awas Yojana scheme, for which the state had taken a loan of Rs.3,400 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

"It is really heartening to note that the state government has been able to provide jobs to 1.42 lakh youth so far, and a process is underway to provide more government jobs to youth," he said.

One of the major decisions the government had taken was the setting up of a Rs.40,000 crore, nine million tonne per annum capacity refinery in Barmer district.

"This would be one of the largest such investments in the state after independence," Gehlot said.

Meritorious students of government schools are being provided laptops and tablets and in the last four years, the state government has been able to bring in prestigious educational institutions like IIT, IIM and AIIMS into the state, the chief minister said.