Jaipur, Aug 12 (PTI) Rajasthan forest minister Sanjay Sharma on Wednesday sat on a dharna along with sanitation workers at the Alwar Municipal Corporation over the alleged delay of more than a year in issuing their appointment letters, prompting the Congress to question the “sorry state” of the administration under the BJP government. Sharma blamed the Alwar collector and the municipal commissioner for the delay, saying he would not leave the protest site until the workers were issued appointment letters.
The BJP minister said the Rajasthan High Court last year ordered the issuance of appointment letters for sanitation workers recruited in the 2012 drive, following which the municipal corporation sought guidance from the director of the local self-government department on the matter.
After months of communication, the authorities were about to issue appointment letters to 69 candidates, but it was put on hold, the minister claimed.
Sharma claimed that members from the Valmiki community informed him that the officials had denied them appointment letters.
“I spoke to the district collector, but her attitude was surprisingly negative. She appeared to be adamant and not in the mood to dispose of the matter. So, I came to the corporation office and sat on dharna with the workers,” he told reporters.
“I have also communicated the issue to the chief minister’s office,” he added.
Collector Artika Shukla was not available for a comment.
Congress leaders, on the other hand, targeted the BJP government over the issue.
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra alleged that corruption has become so rampant in the state that a minister of the BJP government was sitting on a dharna for the sanitation workers’ cause.
Dotasra said the minister’s protest against his own government and allegations against the district administration and municipal corporation raised serious questions over the functioning of the BJP government.
“If a minister sits on a dharna against scams in his own government, one can imagine the extent of corruption under the BJP rule,” Dotasra alleged.
Dotasra said Sharma’s dharna against the district collector and municipal commissioner showed the sorry state of the administrative system under the BJP government.
He alleged that bureaucracy had become so powerful that ministers were not being heard and MLAs were being ignored.
Dotasra also alleged that sanitation workers who had secured favourable court orders were still waiting for appointments months later.
“Candidates of a recruitment process held years ago are still running from pillar to post for appointments despite winning their cases in court,” he said.
Sharing similar concerns, Rajasthan Assembly’s Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully said that the minister’s dharna has exposed the reality of the state government.
“The minister’s dharna against a civic body run by the BJP government showed that the administrative machinery has completely collapsed,” he said.
“Despite speaking to the district collector, when officials took no action, the minister had to sit to dharna and protest,” Jully added.
He alleged that ministers in the BJP government had become “mere names” and that decisions were being taken according to the wishes of the bureaucracy.
“If a minister of the government himself has to struggle for justice, how will this government provide justice to poor sanitation workers and the common people?” Jully asked. PTI SDA KSI KSI
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