Rajasthan Minister hits back at Ashok Gehlot over ‘Budget Files’

Jaipur, Nov 14 (IANS) Public Health Engineering Minister Kanhaiyalal Choudhary has launched a sharp counterattack against former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his ‘Budget Files’ video series.

Accusing the previous Congress government of turning the Jal Jeevan Mission into a hub of corruption, Choudhary said Gehlot was now questioning a scheme that had been plagued by irregularities during his own tenure.

Describing Gehlot’s criticism as ironic, the minister invoked the Hindi proverb, “Sau chuhe khakar billi haj ko chali” (After devouring nine hundred mice, the cat sets off for a pilgrimage), suggesting that the former Chief Minister was attempting to lecture the present government despite his own administration’s record.

Choudhary alleged that Rajasthan’s reputation was tarnished by large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission between 2018 and 2023.

He claimed that the scheme witnessed serious irregularities, including pipelines being shown as laid on paper without actual execution, water tanks being constructed without functional connections, and widespread financial corruption.

He further pointed out that the then Public Health Engineering Minister was also jailed in connection with the alleged corruption.

According to Choudhary, the Congress government turned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious initiative to provide tap water to every household into a hub of corruption.

The minister claimed that more than Rs 1,000 crore allocated under the scheme had lapsed during the Gehlot government and that the stipulated deadline had also expired.

He said Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma personally visited Delhi to seek an extension from the Central government and subsequently ensured better utilisation of funds, giving fresh momentum to the mission.

Choudhary added that the present government was accelerating implementation and had so far provided tap water connections to more than 15 lakh rural households.

Taking a direct dig at Gehlot, he asked why pipelines were allegedly laid only on paper during the Congress regime, why water tanks were not connected to supply networks, and what action had been taken against those responsible for corruption.

Highlighting the Bhajanlal government’s initiatives towards water security, Choudhary said the state was taking significant steps to make Rajasthan self-reliant in water resources.

He stated that work orders worth Rs 26,000 crore had already been issued under the Ram Jal Setu Link Project. He also highlighted the efforts being made to secure additional water resources through the Yamuna Water Agreement and the Kishau Dam Agreement, which are expected to benefit the Shekhawati region.

Concluding his counterattack, Choudhary alleged that the Gehlot government had allowed the Jal Jeevan Mission to become embroiled in corruption, whereas the Bhajanlal Sharma government was working to restore the scheme and accelerate its implementation.

He said the people of Rajasthan were well aware of the Congress government’s record and that Gehlot could not hide his administration’s failures by releasing videos under the banner of ‘Budget Files’.

“While our government is delivering results on the ground, Gehlot is merely raising questions through videos,” the minister remarked.

–IANS

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