Rajasthan HC stays Raje govt's ambitious scheme
2008-09-28 [12:56:32 hrs] | | | In a major setback to the Raje government, the Rajasthan High Court has stayed a pet project of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. |
| | | Under the Bhama Shah scheme, her government was to gift 1,500 rupees each to 50 lakh women in Rajasthan.
But a PIL filed by a senior citizen claims the scheme launched just three months before elections in the state, is only a ploy to woo votes for the BJP. After the first hearing, the High Court has stayed the implementation of the ambitious scheme.
After HC's decision, Vasundhara Raje's dream scheme has suddenly turned into a nightmare.
"This scheme is totally illegal and unconstitutional. The government has not laid out any criteria for selecting the women nor any rules on who will or won't get the money. They are misusing public money like a bribe to buy votes from people," said Karan Pal Singh, lawyer for petitioner.
Besides doling out money for women, the government was to pay commission even to its own officials, enrolling beneficiaries under the scheme.
But despite the High Court stay, the government insists it is aim was not to garner votes, but only to empower women economically.
"We have honest intentions behind this ambitious scheme. You may think it is just to please women. But I feel if a woman is empowered, the whole family gets empowered," said Vasundhara Raje, Chief Minister, Rajasthan.
But in election year, the Raje government has handed out a string of sops, ranging from higher salaries for government employees to raising reservation quotas.
But with the High court stalling it, Raje's pet project for electoral gains has now turned into a huge embarrassment for the BJP, just ahead of elections in Rajasthan. |
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