Sandstorm for Gehlot: Did CM favour relatives for mining leases

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is at the centre of a major sandstone mining scam. The chief minister, whose government enters its final year, is facing allegations of awarding mining contracts to his close relatives at throwaway prices. IBN7 reports that of the 37 sandstone mines around Jodhpur’s ‘Bada Kotecha’ village, Gehlot alloted 19 to his relatives, including Manjula Gehlot, wife of the CM’s brother Agrasen, Shalini Gehlot, his brother’s daughter-in-law and Veena Kachhawa, wife of his nephew Jaswant Singh. [caption id=“attachment_650635” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.[/caption] It is also alleged that Gehlot altered mining contract norms in 2012, to suit his relatives. The new norms favoured 37 of the original 87 applicants including 19 of Gehlot’s relatives. Ashok Gehlot’s brother Agrasen Gehlot said, “There are the highest number of Gehlots in our community so they are saying that everybody named is our brother or a relative. This is just a political propaganda by the Opposition.” Meanwhile, Opposition BJP created ruckus in the Rajasthan Assembly demanding that the chief minister resign over the alleged scam. Gehlot said, “I am ready for a probe in the mining case, the report is baseless.” CNN-IBN reports that a committee has been formed to to probe irregularities in the allotment of mining leases, but who will head the panel is yet to be decided.