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Rajasthan governor's address to assembly speaks of BJP's 'misrule'

Rajasthan acting governor Navrang Lal Tibrewal today said the state government would take all remedial measures to neutralise effects of the eight-year-long ''misrule'' of the previous government to take the state ahead on the path of development.

Delivering the inaugural speech in the state assembly to inaugurate the first session of the newly constituted eleventh state legislature, Tibrewal said it was the policies of the Congress-led governments in the state since independence, barring some occasions, which had brought development and peoples welfare programmes in the state to make it a developing state whereas during the ''misrule'' under the previous (BJP-led) government during the past eight years, the state had suffered a setback on various developmental fronts as well as the law and order situation.

The governor, while counting on the failures under the previous eight-year regime, rounded off the achievements of the earlier Congress governments, ruled prior to 1990 since independence, in different sectors and dealt at length with the future targets and strategy of the new government to bring the state back on tracks.

Tibrewal had announced that the government would soon come forward with at least three new policies -- on tourism, agriculture and housing -- to boost the pace of development and has already decided to set up a commission for women and human rights to alleviate the quality of life of citizens. The government would also constitute soon the state minorities commission.

The governor had also assured accelerated action for regularising slums to provide basis civic facilities in all slums and to prevent new slums in the state.

He also announced that reservation for women in state government services was being raised to 30 per cent from the present 20.

Tibrewal said the previous government had also taken a decision of raising the retirement age of state government employees from 58 to 60 years in view of financial tightness but the new government had reversed the decision to protect the interests of youth.

The governor had also announced that the government would review the cases pending in various courts under the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (prevention) Act and would withdraw those cases in which proper and foolproof evidence was not found.

Opening his speech with a note of commendation and praise for the role of the Congress party in the freedom movement, Tibrewal observed that the Congress had come to power with more than three-fourth majority in the recent assembly elections.

Tibrewal said his government was committed to providing a transparent, responsive and sensitive governance and assured that it would fulfill all the promises made in the Congress manifesto

He said the financial condition of the state had also deteriorated during the previous regime as the debt burden had risen multifold as the government had failed to check price-rise.

He said the state government would now come forth with a white paper on the financial condition of the state. The government would also make efforts to make good the situation with the active cooperation of the people so that the state could line up with the developed states of the country.

UNI

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