Jaipur, Feb 26 (IANS) Rajasthan Congress Chief Govind Singh Dotasra has questioned the state government for what he termed a “dual policy” regarding the two-child norm.
He criticised the government for allowing individuals with more than two children to contest local body elections while government employees and officials with more than two children continue to face restrictions, including denial of promotions.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Dotasra spoke on key issues, including the two-child norm, delay in local body elections, and the functioning of the Assembly.
Interview excerpts:
IANS: The BJP govt has allowed candidates with more than two children to contest local elections. Your views?
Dotasra: The Rajasthan government has permitted individuals with more than two children to contest local elections, but government employees and officials are still denied promotions if they have more than two children. The government is following a dual policy. Everything should be measured with the same yardstick. Why should employees suffer? Why should they be denied promotions for having more than two children? This announcement has been made under pressure from the RSS. The two-child norm was originally introduced around three decades ago as a population control measure. At present, India’s population is over 140 crore, of which nearly 8 crore are from Rajasthan. We already face challenges related to limited resources, quality education, and traffic management. How will population be controlled if such decisions are taken? This move is intended to send a message about increasing the Hindu population, claiming the decision was influenced by ideological pressure.
IANS: The government moved the Supreme Court to postpone the elections to 113 local bodies.
Dotasra: The process for the local body election has already been completed. Wards have been declared, voter lists are ready, and delimitation has been completed. So, where is the problem? They want to push the polls to November-December as the tenures of other Panchayati Raj institutions, including Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, are ending, and the government wants to conduct all elections simultaneously. In fact, the Centre provides approximately Rs 3,000 crore to the state for local bodies polls, but the funds are not being released due to the postponement of elections. Though this results in financial loss to the state, they are ready to incur it out of fear of defeat.
IANS: You have been alleging that ministers are not replying to questions in the assembly. Why
Dotasra: The functioning of the Assembly is being discussed across, as the ministers are not adequately prepared. Their inadequate answers are being watched by the public. Often, even before a minister finishes responding, the Speaker allows another MLA to raise a question. This does not create the right impression among the public. Discussions on questions are often restricted to the Leader of Opposition or one MLA. We have requested the Speaker to allow at least two more MLAs to speak on important issues. He has assured us that he would consider it.
IANS: Your views on the State Budget. It comes as a repetition of last year’s budget.
Dotasra: Several previous announcements have not been implemented, and there is no concrete policy for increasing employment, farmers’ income, women’s empowerment, or overall development. There is no clear vision on women’s health or broader public welfare issues. Key concerns of the people are missing.
–IANS
arc/dan
