Gehlot slams Raje for accusing his govt of financial mismanagement

Raje questioned the financial viability of the oil refinery and metro rail, during her state budget

Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has accused the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje of misleading people on the issues of financial management of his former government and about the projects of oil refinery and Jaipur Metro rail.

Reacting to Raje's blame in her budget speech yesterday about the financial mismanagement by the former government, Gehlot defended his previous government's financial management which he termed as excellent and said it was also appreciated by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"We presented surplus budget for three consecutive years. Our government introduced several schemes and former Prime Minister, C&AG, RBI, 13th Finance Commission appreciated our fiscal management and financial indicators," Gehlot said in a statement here.

Raje in the budget speech in the house yesterday came down heavily on the former government and questioned financial viability of oil refinery and metro rail, the two pet projects of the Gehlot government.

Gehlot questioned whether Raje's remark that 110 ROB or 500 km long roads can be constructed with Rs 3400 crore (cost of the Jaipur metro rail project) was contradictory to the policy of the NDA government.

"The Union government has announced to run bullet trains and metro trains. Experts have estimated cost of the bullet train at 60,000 crore and as per Raje's estimate, almost 88.

"235 km long roads or almost 1941 ROB can be constructed with such huge amount. So, Raje should suggest Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop making efforts for bullet and metro trains," he said.