Other States - Rajasthan   

Remark on Vajpayee sparks uproar

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday witnessed uproarious scenes over a Congress member's remarks on former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs traded charges with Congress members over the observations during which the former brought in the name of Congress president Sonia Gandhi as well. After 20 minutes' uproar Deputy Speaker Ramnarain Vishnoi ordered expunction of the House proceedings during the period.

Congress MLA Sanyam Lodha was seemingly provoked to make a remark about the former Prime Minister after finding the treasury benches frequently interrupting his senior colleague Pradhyumna Singh while the latter was participating in the debate on the Finance Bill. Mr. Singh, who attributed the new financial stability to the States to the United Progressive Alliance Government's liberal sharing of income, was interrupted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore and others.

Mr. Singh, who asked the State to change its attitude to accommodate reasonable demands from the ONGC for setting up a well-based oil refinery in Barmer, said laxity on the part of the previous BJP Government in the State had led to the last-minute shifting of the Hyundai car unit from Alwar to Chennai. His colleague, former Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur, said the Congress was willing to take up the matter of the refinery with the Centre if the Government here desired so.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who replied to the debate in the evening, announced an enhancement of Rs.20 lakh to the MLAs' local area development fund to take it to Rs.80 lakh. However, there is a catch in this as Rs.15 lakh has to be kept aside for drinking water projects by each member. She announced setting up of a DAP plant in Chittorgarh district jointly by Rajasthan State Minerals and Metals Limited and Rashtriya Chemicals.

Cheered by the performance of the Rajasthan team in the just concluded Ranji Trophy match here in which they came second, Ms. Raje announced Rs.50,000 for each of the team members. There was something for journalists too to feel happy as Ms. Raje announced creation of a Free Press Fund, a welfare fund for accredited media persons in which the Government would put in double the amount contributed by the media persons.

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