Unable to provide free laptops, PC tablets, cycles, saris and blankets before enforcement of election code of conduct, the Congress Government has started distributing cash to targeted groups.
According to officials sources, about Rs1,200 crore would be doled to the beneficiaries before the end of July.
In his last Budget, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had announced that the Government would give 1.5 lakh PC tablets and 30,000 laptops to the meritorious students. Similarity, 4.62 lakh school-going girls were to get free cycles. Each of the female and male members of 40 lakh BPl families were to get free saris and blankets. Not only that daily wage earners, who had completed 100 work in MNREGA, were made entitled to get Rs2,100 as cash.
Sources said that soon after announcement of this scheme, Gehlot had directed the officials to arrange laptops, PC tablets, cycles, saris and blankets. They were given the task to complete the distribution of these items before July-end.
As thing did not move as expected, early this month at a high level meeting it was decided that since there is no time to acquire such a huge number of these items, these people should be given cash in lieu of these items.
On May 15, functions were held at district headquarters to give cheques of Rs6,000 to each of the 3.5 lakh students who were entitled to PC tablets. Each of about 55,000 students would soon get Rs30,000 in lieu of laptops. According to deadline fixed by the Government, each of the 4.62 lakh school-going girls would get Rs2,500 in lieu of cycles by middle of July.
Each female and male member of about 40 lakh families would get Rs1,500 as cash by the end of June against free saris and blankets, which was announced by Gehlot in his Budget. It is learnt that a section of bureaucracy was not agreed to doll out cash in this way, but their objections were ruled out at the highest level of the Government.
Sources said getting lesson from a scheme of previous Government which was stayed by High Court, Gehlot is keen to complete the target to give this cash before any one approach the court to get stay by linking it to the elections.
In July2008, then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had announced Bhamashah Yojna to empower the women of the State. Under the scheme, the Government was to pay Rs1,500 to each of female head of the family to open a bank account.
This account would have been linked to payment under various schemes to the family. Only women were entitle to operate the accounts. Focused on rural areas, the Government was to open about 50 lakh such accounts. Process was started. By middle of August, about 15 lakh accounts were were already opened. But schemes was stopped at this juncture by the Rajasthan High Court on a PIl which said it was aimed to win over the voters by the ruling BJP.
Sources said Gehlot is keen to avoid such a situation and personally supervising the schemes in lieu of which cash is being dolled out to the targeted group.