Taking a cue from his oft-repeated praise for a double engine with the BJP both at the Centre and the state, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his double engine has failed while the single-engine government triumphed in Rajasthan.
Speaking at a function at CM-Residence organized to transfer Rs 1,000 each to 50 lakh ‘labharthi’ in their account under a social security scheme, Gehlot said, “We have brought so many schemes and have achieved so much development in the state that would not have been possible with a double-engine government.”
Whatever the legislators asked for, we have given them. The MLAs asked for a college, a tehsil, an SDO office, I have given all,” he added.
The chief minister further said that he told the MLAs cutting across party lines that they would get tired of asking, but he won’t get tired of giving. “I would ask in which state of the country so much work is being done. While the double engine failed elsewhere, here a single-engine government succeeded,” he added.
Listing the achievements of his single-engine government, he said no other state could have thought of it. He highlighted ten major schemes and other decisions like the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), LPG cylinder at Rs 500 that his government implemented.
On the occasion, the chief minister announced free-ration kits to more than 90 lakh families to start between July 20 and 25. He reiterated his government’s commitment to give free smartphones to 1.35 crore women. In the first phase, 40 lakh women will get smartphones worth Rs 5-7 thousand from this month itself.
Moving on a wheelchair with both his legs in front of the pillow due to a fracture and injury in toes, Gehlot turned emotional when he said, “I have seen how many of my brothers and sisters walk on wheelchairs throughout their life. Some get polio, while others lose their legs. All of them should get a pension for what they suffer like I am suffering now.”