Raj govt to charge-sheet officials over delayed scheme payments

The Rajasthan government on Friday said it will file charge sheets against officials who fail to disburse social security schemes run by the social justice and empowerment department. The decision was taken by the Department Director Samit Sharma, who is reported to be unsatisfied with the poor implementation of schemes during a review meeting held through video conferencing yesterday.

While administrative, the decision is likely to have political implications as the Vasundhara Raje government, which is is entering the final phase of its tenure, is leaving no stone unturned to fix policies that could give it an edge in the next Assembly elections.

The schemes reviewed by the director have beneficiaries in the lakhs, particularly social security pension scheme and scholarships for students from backward and scheduled castes. A couple of weeks ago, a meeting chaired by the chief secretary Ashok Jain also discussed the pendency of works and directed officials of all departments to dispose of them at the earliest.

“The officials do have to dispose pendency of applications in next two days, or else the department will issue charge sheet against the officials for negligence of duty,” Sharma said in a statement released by the department.

Sources in the social justice department …read more