Taking corrective measures, says CM

MUMBAI: Chief minister (CM) of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, while admitting that the deaths of infants in Kota and other parts of Rajasthan was a serious issue, said the government has been taking corrective measures, which have resulted in a drop in infant and maternal mortality rates in the state. He said the mortality rate in other parts of the country, too, was high and Rajasthan was not among the top 10 worst affected states.

Gehlot’s government has been facing severe criticism for deaths of more than 100 infants in government hospitals in Rajasthan. Gehlot’s party colleague and deputy CM of the state, Sachin Pilot, too, has taken a potshot at the government saying they cannot escape the responsibility. Speaking to HT on Sunday, during his Mumbai visit, Gehlot said the issue “should not be politicised”. “There were infant mortality cases in Rajkot in Gujarat and Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh too. When Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was questioned about the 1,234 deaths in his state and his own district, he averted the media. I do not want to politicise the issue, but I would request all parties to join hands to tackle these issues. If there are any loopholes and criticism, it should be taken positively to ensure that they are addressed properly,” said Gehlot.

He said neonatal intensive care units were launched in Kota and other parts of the state in 2011, when he was the CM. “It has helped us reduce infant deaths. We launched state-of-the-art machinery for medical treatment. We have the best medical facilities in the country. With the recently launched Nirogi Rajasthan scheme, we are augmenting the medical facilities,” he said.

Gehlot, who met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday, also said that the formation of the Shiv Sena-ncp-congress government in Maharashtra has proved to be a “setback for the BJP leadership”. “The coming together of the three parties in the state was the need of the hour and was in the interest of India and its stakeholders. The formation of the government [in Maharashtra] has not only helped the Congress boost its morale across the country, but has also pushed back the BJP on their aim of diminishing others. PM Narendra Modi has stopped talking about Congress-mukt Bharat since then. People have started standing by the Congress, which was witnessed during our Bharat Bachao rally in Delhi and in other states on the party’s foundation day,” he said. Gehlot is believed to have played a major role in the formation of the three-party government in Maharashtra.