In a public address in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot confirmed the establishment of 300 new colleges in the state during his administration. Emphasising his government’s focus on women’s education, he highlighted the opening of over a hundred colleges specifically for girls under the Congress government in recent years.
“In the span of 70 years, only 250 colleges were established, yet we managed to open 300 colleges, including 130 for girls, within just 5 years,” Gehlot proudly noted.
Further outlining his government’s strides in healthcare, Gehlot contrasted the current situation with the past when Rajasthan only housed a handful of medical colleges. He reported that his administration is presently working on setting up medical colleges in every other district of the state.
“Once, we had merely three or four medical colleges in Rajasthan, concentrated in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Bikaner. Today, we’re opening medical colleges across various districts,” Gehlot said.
The Chief Minister also unveiled a plan under deliberation to offer free smartphones with complimentary internet for three years. “Under the smartphone scheme, we aim to distribute smartphones at no cost. This provision is currently being considered,” he added. On June 1, Gehlot had announced another benefit for the citizens of Rajasthan: free electricity up to 100 units per month. This change in the electricity bill structure came after extensive public interactions and observation at inflation relief camps.
With this new policy, middle-class citizens consuming up to 200 units will only have a fixed charge, with all additional surcharges to be absorbed by the state government. “Keeping the interests of middle-class citizens in mind, we decided to bear all additional costs on electricity consumption of up to 200 units,” Gehlot concluded.