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National

Board set up to handle Gujjar package

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government has announced the appointment of a “Devnarain Board” to oversee implementation of the Rs.282 crore special package for Gujjars announced by the Ramdas Agarwal Committee. Sardar Singh Dangas, a retired IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, has been appointed Chairman of the board.

The board is named after Devnarain, the favourite deity of Gujjars who figures in all their folk songs and plays.

Mr. Dangas, brother-in-law of the Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla who led the recent violent agitation in the State, will enjoy the status and facilities of a Minister of State in Rajasthan. The board, which will be under the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, will have two part-time members besides the Additional Chief Secretary (Development) as an honorary member.

Mr. Dangas was one of the 30 Gujjar representatives who took part in the recent negotiations with the Government.

When asked about the choice of Mr. Dangas, especially when there existed a general feeling that Col. Kirori Singh Bainsla was soft towards the Government, Mr. Ramdas Agarwal, who led the Government side in the talks, denied any prior knowledge about the relationship between the two Gujjar leaders.

“Mr. Dangas was chosen because of his past experience as the Chairman of the Other Backward Classes Commission in Madhya Pradesh,” Mr. Agarwal explained.

Meanwhile, the process of Gujjar leaders meeting the Chief Minister, the Ministers and other senior functionaries of the Government for follow-up on last week’s agreement continues. On Thursday, a Gujjar delegation led by Rural Development Minister Kalulal Gujjar and Jaipur Zila Pramukh Ramgopal Guard met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to thank her for the quota announcement and for the establishment of the Devnarain Board. The previous day, Col. Bainsla along with other Gujjar leaders had met Mr. Kalulal Gujjar and the Chief Minisyer’s Principal Secretary, Sunil Arora.

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