Rajasthan govt decides against divesting 2 power plants

The Rajasthan government on Wednesday reversed the previous BJP dispensation's decision to disinvest the Kali Sindh and Chhabra power plants.

A proposal in this regard was passed in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The decision to not divest was taken because of the improvement in operational efficiency and financial condition of the Chhabra and Kalisindh thermal power plants, according to a release.

The previous Bharatiya Janata Party government, led by Vasundhara Raje, had decided to disinvest the Chhabra and Kalisindh plants, located in Baran and Jhalawar districts respectively, in order to reduce the losses of power companies.

The cabinet also gave approval to amend the Rajasthan civil services (pension) rules in order to enhance the compensation on the death of polling personnel, the release said.

In case of normal death, the compensation has been increased to Rs 20 lakh from the present 10 lakh, the release said.

If the polling personnel dies in violence, blast or land-mine incident, a compensation of Rs 30 lakh will be given in place of the present 20 lakh. The compensation will also be increased for the polling personnel in cases of disability due to such incidents, it said.

The cabinet also gave a nod for an independent social audit society would be set up for the auditing of schemes and programmes run by the rural development and the panchayati raj department. It will bring transparency in the execution of the programmes, the release said.

The cabinet also granted permission to allot houses to the families of slain jawans Jitendra Singh, Aaram Singh Gurjar and Hoshiyar Singh Yadav.