Central schemes galore, but better infrastructure remains elusive

Perhaps the second city after Varanasi, Ajmer district has been a recipient of most of the Central flagship schemes, thanks to the presence of the famous Dargah (photo) and popular religious-cum-tourist destination Puskar. While the iconic religious sites represent different faiths, the problems they face are common and the impact of the schemes is yet to bear fruit in the places that matter.

Open drains, environmental degradation, high density of population, contaminated water, encroachments and rampant drug abuse by youngsters have made these twin religious sites increasingly 'unfit' for living.


In the past five years, the historic city was awarded five flagship development schemes of PM Narendra Modi’s government – Smart City, Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) and Swachh Bharat. Several projects initiated under these schemes have failed to make any visible impact, even as the same projects brought in some changes in the surrounding areas. Professor Reepunjay Singh, head of department, urban planning, Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration (RIPA) stated that the impact of AMRUT, PRASAD and other schemes in these areas is negligible.

“These are religious-cumcultural centres. Ideally, the state (executing body) should have restored its old glory by reinventing stepwells, renovating old buildings and creating cultural platforms. However, no such work has been carried out other than a corridor in Brahma temple complex in Pushkar which has rather destroyed the historical structures including the samadhis,” said Singh.

Even the impact of Swachh Bharat’s special scheme is not visible at these two important sites. Piles of garbage can be seen everywhere round the clock with the menace of stray dogs in the Dargah area and cattle in Pushkar endangering the lives of devotees and tourists.

Pushkar Narayan, a member Pushar Municipal Council, told TOI that every day around 300 cows are released in the holy town occupying the already cramped spaces.

During his campaigns, BJP candidate from Ajmer

Lok Sabha

Bhagirath Chaudhary is promising the voters that the two sites would be paid attention to. “Both the sites are important for Ajmer and will get its due share in the next tenure of the BJP government,” he assures.