Jaipur, February 7: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma recently compared his government’s two-year performance to the five years of the previous Congress administration. In response, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to social media to challenge the government’s claims of good governance, highlighting issues of mismanagement.
Gehlot accused the state government of mismanaging the Rajasthan government health scheme (RGHS), citing inadequate funding as a critical issue. He revealed that nearly ₹800 crore is owed to medicine suppliers.
He stated that payments should be made within 21 days, yet files have reportedly been pending in the secretariat for six months. This delay has adversely affected millions of elderly citizens and government employees suffering from serious illnesses.
Criticizing the Chief Minister, Gehlot pointed out that during his two-hour speech in the assembly, Sharma made grand claims of “five years versus two years.” However, the reality is that elderly pensioners and ill government employees are struggling to obtain necessary medications.
Gehlot emphasized that the ₹800 crore owed to medicine suppliers under the RGHS scheme should be paid promptly. He noted that while payments are supposed to be made within 21 days, files have been stuck for six months. As a result, elderly pensioners are returning empty-handed from pharmacies and are forced to bear the burden of expensive private treatments. He remarked that it is easy to criticize the previous government from the comfort of power, but maintaining public services is a significant challenge.
He urged the Chief Minister to go beyond speeches and ensure immediate payments to meet the needs of elderly citizens.
Earlier, during a budget discussion, Sharma claimed that his government had achieved more development in roads, electricity, and agriculture in two years than the Congress government did in five. However, Gehlot refuted this, stating that development should be measured not just by statistics but by the continuous availability of essential public services. He warned that withholding funds is detrimental to previous welfare schemes.