JAIPUR: After the race to become ministers, it was a race to get the right office room. Minutes after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s cabinet was sworn in on Monday, many ministers made a dash for the state Secretariat from Raj Bhawan to get themselves offices of their choice. While many ministers managed to get their preferred office, others were not so lucky.
Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who didn’t like the room he was allotted in the same building as Gehlot, went straight to the Chief Minister’s office to request for a new one. Cabinet minister Lalchand Kataria reached the Secretariat an hour after the oath-taking ceremony. Officials had readied room 6103 for him though he had asked for room 6106. Infuriated, he occupied 6106 even before the babus could react.
Pratap Singh Khachariyawas had asked for the room of former Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria. After the Department of Personnel agreed to his demand, he went with his supporters to occupy the room lest someone else stakes claim.
Another new minister, Vishwendra Singh, did not like the room on the ground floor and asked for BJP MLA Rajendra Singh Rathore’s room. When officials asked for time, he threatened to complain to the Chief Minister.
Similar demands were made by BD Kalla, Shanti Dhariwal and Prasadi Lal Meena, who had earlier served as ministers also. They demanded that they be allotted their old chambers. Although the room Kalla has chosen is not in a good condition, he insisted on it.
Cabinet minister Pramod Jain Bhaya and Minister of State Ashok Chandna demanded and got, rooms in the main secretariat building. Cabinet Ministers Ramesh Meena, Sukhram Vishnoi, Rajendra Yadav and Subhash Garg demanded that their office too should be in the same building.