With a little over six months to go for the Assembly elections in the state, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced that his government will launch a mass outreach programme based on its welfare schemes in every district of the state.
Amidst the political turbulence caused by his former deputy Sachin Pilot's campaign claiming inaction on part of the state government with regard to corruption in the Vasundhara Raje regime, Gehlot is seeking to keep the focus on the welfarist image of his government.
Gehlot, at a press conference in Jaipur, announced that his government will organise 'Mahangai Rahat Camp', an outreach programme through which awareness will be created amongst the people about the government's ten most important welfare schemes.
Initially, around 700 camps will be set up, which will be scaled up to 2,700 camps. The basic purpose of these camps would be to help the eligible people register for the ten welfare schemes. The camps will run until all those want to register for the schemes have done so.
“The need for registration camps was felt after hearing the feedback about the delivery of welfare schemes. We realised that many people do not know about the schemes and also whether they are entitled to register for them or not. We also realised that schemes sometimes take too long to reach the people,” Gehlot said.
Amongst the ten schemes to be popularised through the programme are gas cylinder for Rs 500, 100 units of electricity to be given free per month, 2000 units of free electricity for farmers, Annapurna food packets for people who are beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, 125 days of employment in place of 100 under MNREGA scheme, urban employment scheme, a minimum pension of Rs 1000, enhancement of insurance amount under the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance scheme from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, enhancement of accident insurance from Rs five lakh to Rs 10 lakh and providing Rs 40,000 as animal insurance scheme.
According to sources in the Chief Minister's Office, the welfare schemes launched by the Gehlot government will form the main plank for the Congress in the coming Assembly elections. As part of this strategy, the government is keen to showcase its 'Right to Health', which today received the Governor's assent, as a one-of-its kind rights-based initiative in the country.
In sync with this thinking, Gehlot refused to take questions on the latest move of Pilot, saying all his focus was centred on the welfare schemes. To every question on Pilot, he said the answer lies in the Mahangai Rahat Camp.