Internal strife intensifies in Rajasthan government over transfers
JAIPUR: Transfers made by a Rajasthan minister have been stopped by another, bringing to the fore a rift in the Bhajan Lal government. The agriculture department under Kirori Lal Meena recently transferred engineers to zila parishads and panchayat samitis. However, the panchayati raj department under Madan Dilawar objected to the transfers and halted them, sources said, exposing differences between the two ministers.
When reached out by this newspaper, neither Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena nor Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar refused to comment on the issue. The practice has been that the rural development and panchayati raj departments have been managed by one minister. Under the Bhajan Lal ministry the responsibilities have been split between Meena and Dilawar.
Meena oversees the agriculture, horticulture, rural development, and disaster relief departments. Dilawar is in charge of the school education and panchayati raj departments. Analysts say that the division is a primary cause of the conflict, as the interconnected nature of the rural development and panchayati raj departments makes them prone to friction when handled by separate ministers.
Sources said Meena, given his stature, sought greater power which he did not receive, further escalating the conflict. Recently, Meena targeted Rajkumar Roat of the BAP over controversial remarks made by Dilawar regarding the DNA of tribals. But he declined to comment.
‘Division a cause of conflict’
Analysts say that division is a primary cause of the conflict, as the connected nature of the rural development and the panchayati raj departments make them prone to friction when handled by separate ministers. Moreover, Meena targeted BAP’s Rout