Jaipur: Congress MLA Suresh Modi and deputy Leader of Opposition Ramkesh Meena Thursday cornered water resources minister Suresh Singh Rawat in the Assembly over allocation of ration shops in Neem Ka Thana.Rawat was replying during Question Hour on behalf of the food and civil supplies dept. Rawat said 10 single applications were received. Of these, three applicants were allotted shops, two applications were rejected, and guidance was sought in four cases. Criticising the minister’s reply, Modi said nearly 70% of the population remained deprived of ration facilities. “When clear rules exist for allotment, why is there a need to seek guidance? This raises the smell of corruption.” When the minister repeated the written reply, Modi asked further from whom the guidance was being sought. In a sarcastic remark, Modi said, “Do you want to seek guidance from Mahatma Gandhi?” As the minister failed to give a direct answer, Speaker Vasudev Devnani asked him to clarify the situation. Rawat then said that guidance was sought from the district collector. Meena criticised the govt, saying that if a minister had to seek guidance from a collector, it was shameful for the govt. Rawat said the district supply officer sought guidance from the collector, and a decision on the allotment would be taken once it was received. During the exchange, Meena remarked that generally collectors seek guidance from ministers, not the other way around.
