₹3,000 Crore Allocated, No Spending in 21 Welfare Schemes: Gehlot Cites CAG

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday alleged that the BJP-led state government failed to utilise funds allocated for several welfare schemes targeting children, girls and women, citing findings from a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.

Gehlot claimed that 21 of 37 schemes covered in the report recorded no expenditure despite a combined budgetary allocation of around ₹3,000 crore. According to the Congress leader, the schemes were intended to benefit more than one crore children, girl students and women across Rajasthan.

“The CAG report has exposed another shameful reality of the BJP government before the Assembly,” Gehlot said, alleging that not even a single rupee was spent on the ground under 21 of the schemes.

Citing the report, Gehlot said ₹21.61 crore allocated under the Kalibai Bheel Scooty Scheme remained unspent. He also claimed that ₹6 crore earmarked for the construction of Maa-Badi centres and ₹55.31 crore intended for reimbursement of private school fees under the Right to Education (RTE) scheme were not utilised.

Gehlot further alleged that no expenditure was recorded under nine schemes for college-going girls and women, including the Ladli Suraksha Yojana and a pension scheme for deserted women.

The former chief minister accused the BJP government of attempting to “informally shut down” welfare schemes introduced during the previous Congress administration. He questioned why funds continued to be allocated to the programmes if the government had no intention of implementing them.

Gehlot said the alleged failure to utilise the allocated funds could deprive beneficiaries of assistance promised under the schemes. He also questioned the government's approach to welfare spending and demanded accountability for the unspent allocations.

Calling the issue more than mere administrative negligence, Gehlot alleged that the failure represented “a betrayal of children, daughters and women.” The allegations are likely to add to the political debate over implementation of welfare programmes and budget utilisation in Rajasthan.