After the formation of the Bhajan Lal Sharma government in Rajasthan, the biggest question now is what will happen to the decisions and public welfare schemes of the previous Ashok Gehlot government. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said during the election campaign that the schemes of the Congress government can continue even after the formation of the BJP government.
The Modi government at the Centre has continued MNREGA after opposing it initially. But three such schemes might face closure. These schemes include the restoration of the old pension scheme, Chiranjeevi Yojana and additional facilities being given to government employees under RGHS. Experts believe that there is no problem regarding RGHS, but OPS and the issue of insurance of Rs 25 lakh under Chiranjeevi Yojana may be scrapped. Private hospitals even started withdrawing from the Chiranjeevi scheme. BJP had said in its manifesto that an amount of Rs 5 lakh will be given under the Prime Minister Ayushman Yojana for treatment. The decision has to be taken by the Bhajanlal Sharma government. If the Gehlot government’s schemes are scrapped, then Congress will raise the issue in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Old Pension Scheme of the Gehlot government has been popular across the country. Congress made it an issue in the elections of Telangana, Karnataka and Himachal. The party got votes as well. But in Rajasthan, where Congress implemented it first, it was defeated.
The Modi government at the Center has been continuously opposing this scheme. Prime Minister Modi himself has opposed it in the Parliament. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also opposed it. In such a situation, it will be a big challenge for Bhajanlal Sharma to reinstate the OPS scheme. Certainly the BJP government will review all the schemes, but the decision on OPS will not be taken without the consent of the Centre. However, the government employees voted for BJP even after knowing that the scheme would be closed.
However, now, it will not be easy for the BJP government to scrap the OPS scheme. The Lok Sabha elections are to be held after 5 months. The BJP government’s decision to scrap these schemes will give Congress a much-needed opportunity to make it an issue in the upcoming general elections. If the OPS is not stopped then demand for it will be raised in other states. Along with forming a team, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will soon have to clarify the stand on the schemes of the previous Congress government.