Raising his state’s important issues before Union Home Minister Amit Shah at yesterday’s 30th NZC meeting here, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot demanded that an additional post of a full-time member for the state in Bhakra Beas Management Board be created for monitoring of Indira Gandhi canal water reaching from Punjab.
Besides, Gehlot put forth various other demands like a change in the funding pattern of Jal Jeevan Mission, national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, and strict action against the Multistate Credit Co-operative Societies looting people’s hard-earned money.
Apprising the delegates about the schemes and initiatives including ensuring speedy justice, Gehlot highlighted the CM-Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme and I CM-Shakti Udan Yojana that is being extended to every citizen in the state.
CM said that keeping future circumstances in mind, an additional post of a full-time member on BBMB would be in the larger interest of Rajasthan.
As a host state for the 30th NZC meeting, Gehlot spoke about the effective implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for social security schemes. Direct benefits of about Rs 56,000 crore (cumulatively) have been transferred through the Janadhaar portal in the state till July 1, 2022, and direct cash benefits of about Rs 6,000 crore have been transferred in five months of 2022, he said.
Saying Open branches in 2908 villages deprived of banks, he said that banking facilities must be provided through bank branches or post offices in these villagers.
He said that Rajasthan had started the work of connecting all villages up to 500 population with roads from the state fund on the basis of the 2011 census, 535 villages have been connected with roads. He said that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana should be implemented as per the 2011 census instead of 2001. He said that Rajasthan has expedited its efforts towards the prevention of cyber crimes.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government was leaving no stone unturned to ensure speedy justice to the victims under the POCSO Act. There were 56 POCSO courts operating in the state even before the fast-track special court scheme.
For disposal of POCSO cases, 60 special courts have been made functional. At the same time, reception rooms have been set up in police stations for crime control and for providing justice to the complainant.
Making FIRs mandatory has increased the number of FIRs, but the number of cases registered through courts under 156(3) has halved.
In his 4 pages representation, CM said that due to the rugged geographical terrain in Rajasthan, the amount of time taken to reach every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is much higher.
He urged the Centre to extend the deadline for completion of the mission from March 31, 2024, to March 31, 2026. Also, he demanded to change the funding pattern to 90:10 for the implementation of the scheme.
Gehlot asked the NZC that the central government extend the GST compensation period by five years from June 2022 to June 2027. Along with this, he demanded to release the GST compensation arrears of about Rs 5,000 crore to Rajasthan, pending from 2017-18 to May 2022.
On the need to address water-related issues in the state, Gehlot said that the Central Government must declare the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a national project. ERCP is an ambitious project worth Rs 37,247 crore, which will benefit 13 districts of the state.
He said that the Prime Minister had also promised to take a positive stand on the project on various occasions.