Rajasthan Minister of State for Rural Development and Soldier Welfare Rajendra Singh Gudha, on Monday, alleged that the entire administrative power in the state has been centralised with the chief minister and the Chief Minister’s Office under the Ashok Gehlot regime while the Ministers are left with no power.

Gudha has been vocal on the rift between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot over the post of chief minister and controversies arising in the last two years.

Speaking at an official press conference on the eve of Army Flag Day on December 7 at the secretariat here, the minister said, “Important departments like finance, home and others are with the chief minister, and even the transfer of a constable is done by the CM while ministers were seen approaching the CMO for a favour desired transfer. The ministers have no power with them whatsoever.”

Referring to an ongoing row kicked by the Food and Civil Supply Minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas who demanded that the ministers shall be given power to fill up the ACR of IAS officers, Gudha said, “Pratap’s demand is 100 percent correct. Ministers want to fill up the Annual Confidential Repor (ACR) of IAS officers, but the power is centralised with the CM and CMO.”

“The posting of both a constable and DGP are being done by the CMO. Ministers have to take and put up their desires for cops’ transfers at the CMO. Everyone (minister) sits and weeps. MLAs have nothing to do on their own… nor the party workers could even think of this favour,” said Gudha, who won the MLA seat on BSP ticket and later merged with the Congress with five BSP MLAs in 2019.

Recalling the statements of Rahul Gandhi who is on Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said Rahul ji always wanted decentralisation of power in the administration and that it was not good that a few hundreds of known leaders shall run the Central or the state governments. He lamented that “Rahul ji’s ideals have not valued in Rajasthan, it seems”.

Recently, Khachariawas had written a letter to the CM demanding that the ministers be given power to write ACR of IAS officers who work under them.

Earlier, speaking on the Flag Day, Gudha said everyone shall participate in the Army Flag Day on 7, and a month long campaign has been initiated by innovating to collect the maximum amount of cooperation in various welfare schemes run for soldiers including ex-servicemen, dependents of martyrs, veterans, hostels of students, hostels of veterans, scholarships.