 "Rajasthan Cabinet turns manifesto into policy doc, to ensure implementation")
The first Cabinet meeting of the Congress-led Rajasthan government on Saturday decided that the 418-point public manifesto introduced by the party in the run-up to the Assembly polls will work as a policy document and the government will ensure their timely implementation.
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also decided that government letter-heads will no longer carry pictures of Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya as was done by the previous BJP government. The letter-heads will continue to carry the picture of the Ashok Pillar.
The state ministerial board will attend public hearings from 9-10 am to ensure transparency and accountability.
Local body elections will be held in an unbiased manner to elect mayor, presidents and chairpersons, a government spokesman said.
State Minister for Information and Public Relation Raghu Sharma said the Cabinet also decided to increase the old age pension to Rs 750 from Rs 500. For those whose pension amount is fixed at Rs 750 at present will henceforth get Rs 1,000.
The Barmer refinery work will be speeded up while a committee will be formed for employing contractual employees, he added.
Instructions have also been given to the chief secretary to prepare a road-map for the successful implementation of the rural job guarantee scheme (MGNREGA) in the state, Sharma said.