Rajasthan CM Gehlot not interested in state's development: Union minister Goyal

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is not interested in development of the state and claimed that people who are suffering have made up their mind to change the Congress government. Goyal claimed that the Gehlot government refused to contribute state's share for a PM Mitra Park project for 1000-acre textile park in the state. Gehlot also refused to contribute in Railways projects in remote areas as well as in tribal areas of the state, he alleged.

The commerce and industry minister was speaking to reporters after an interaction with students of a coaching institute in Talwandi area here on Sunday evening.

Earlier in the day, he took part in an hour-long ''shramdaan'' here as part of the nationwide 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign.

''Rajasthan did not show any interest in proposal of PM Mitra Park of 1000 acres textile park in the state,'' Goyal said.

After the Congress government came to power, CM Gehlot wrote to the Centre and refused to contribute even a single rupee in any of the Centre's scheme, Goyal said, adding he was very sorry for such approach to development by the Gehlot government.

On possibility of a BJP government in the state, he said people have made up their mind to join the pace of development by the Narendra Modi-led central government.

There is no leadership issue in Rajasthan BJP, Goyal said.

Earlier, Goyal held interaction with businessmen and industrialists of Kota and Bundi in Jawahar Nagar area of the city. The industrialists and businessmen urged the Union minister not to discriminate with Kota and to scrap GST on students' hostel fee. Goyal said the businessmen contribute a major portion of his income to social service and claimed an entrepreneur is hurt most when the tax he pays is wasted in corrupt practices.

It was Narendra Modi, who on becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, decided to use the tax money in interest of people and the country, Goyal said.

Goyal claimed the highest number of tech graduates go out from India and Kota makes maximum contribution in it.

Earlier, Goyal reached Kota on one-day visit and inaugurated the 'Swachhata Pakhwada' at Samrat Circle in Mahavir Nagar.

Goyal administered oath to workers and students during the drive to serve the nation by devoting 100 hours a year to the cleanliness drive.

He said if the children become aware of cleanliness at this age then they would spread the message to their relatives and Mahatma Gandhi's dream will come true soon. The Union minister also said Mahatma Gandhi had dreamed of not only political freedom but also of a clean and developed nation. In a separate event, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also took part in the cleanliness drive in Kota's Kishorepura area on Sunday morning.

Goyal also held interaction with school students during the drive. He said if children become aware of cleanliness at this age, they would spread the message of cleanliness to their relatives and the dream of Mahatma Gandhi will come true soon.

Goyal, along with BJP workers, officials and school students, cleaned the dirt on the road with a broom.

BJP's Kota South MLA Sandeep Sharma, Ladpura MLA Kalpana Devi and Ramganjmandi MLA Madan Dilawar were among those present during the cleanliness drive here.

Goyal also slammed party workers, who tried to click a photo during the cleanliness drive. Before leaving to Mumbai in the evening, Goyal also held around 45-minute interaction with coaching students. Goyal told the students that failure is the step to success. He cited the example of Abraham Lincoln, who continued to fail till he became the president of the United States.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)