Jaipur: Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot lambasted PHED minister Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary for invoking the 'God' in response to media inquiries regarding the state's acute water supply deficit this summer. During a press briefing in Jaipur on Monday, the PHED minister remarked that he was not 'Balaji' (the deity) who can get water by just blowing in the air. The minister and the state administration have since been subjected to vehement criticism from the Congress party and the citizenry over the comment.
Gehlot denounced the minister's remark as callous. In a post on X, Gehlot contended that if Choudhary is incapable of tackling the prevailing water crisis , he should implore the chief minister to delegate his duties to a more adept individual "Amidst the water and electricity crisis, it was incumbent upon the state government, PHED department, electricity department, district administration, urban, and Panchayati Raj entities to strategise in advance and prepare for exigencies. This was not carried out in a timely fashion, resulting in the populace enduring hardships, yet the government is not taking it seriously," said Gehlot.
He maintained that each summer, the state grapples with an acute water scarcity, but it can be effortlessly mitigated with proactive planning. "Despite being in governance for six months, no approach was formulated, culminating in this quandary, and now the water supply minister is making irresponsible declarations," said Gehlot. CM Bhajan Lal Sharma.
