New Delhi: Taking a leaf out of the Chhattisgarh government’s Godhan Nyay Yojana, wherein the government procures cow dung from cattle owners, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced a similar scheme for the state, if the Congress retains power.
In Jaipur, Gehlot made this poll promise along with other six guarantees, as the Congress looks to create a record of second consecutive win, which has never happened since 1993 in the state. Rajasthan will go to polls on 25 November.
“The Congress government will purchase animal dung for Rs. 2 per kg from cattle owners to produce biogas,” reads one of the seven guarantees announced Friday in Jaipur.
Launched in July 2020, the Godhan Nyay Yojana entails procurement of cow dung at Rs 2 per kg from cattle-rearers, women SHGs and gauthan committees to prepare vermicompost for agriculture.
Other guarantees launched by Gehlot include the implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS), Free English Medium Education Guarantee, Chiranjeevi Aapda Bima Guarantee and Free Laptop guarantee.
At a press conference in the Congress war room, Gehlot said: “All these guarantees for the future are well thought of, after consulting experts.”
On Wednesday, Gehlot had announced two of the guarantees at a rally held by senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu.
The Rajasthan chief minister had assured that under the Gruha Laxmi Guarantee scheme, the woman head of a family will be given Rs 10,000 a year in instalments. He also promised that 1.05 crore families will get LPG cylinders for Rs 500 each, if the Congress retains power in the state.
Focusing on the education sector, the Congress government will provide free education in English medium to the students studying at the Mahatma Gandhi English schools. These schools were launched in the state in 2019 and have been increasing in number since then.
“Today around 6 lakh students are studying in these schools. We have to open lotteries for (the slots to open) these schools. But now we are giving a guarantee that there will be no need for a lottery. There will be as many schools as need,” Gehlot said.
One of the five guarantees promised Friday is providing free laptops/tablets to the students studying in the first-year at government colleges. Under the Chiranjeevi Aapda Bima Guarantee, an insurance of Rs 15 lakh is promised for families of certain sections of the society, if they suffer loss due to any natural calamity.
The Gehlot government is already providing an insurance scheme of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of road accident victims and a health insurance for families providing a cover of Rs 25 lakh each in the state.
(Edited by Tony Rai)