Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that despite being put to severe test by the Covid-19 pandemic for two years, the BJP government has put Madhya Pradesh squarely on the path of development and growth during its three year current tenure.
Chouhan was speaking to media persons on the eve of completion of three years in office. He had taken oath as CM for the fourth term on March 23, 2020, after a defection by Congress MLAs under leadership of Union minister Jyotiradiya Scindia led to collapse of 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state.
Chouhan said that the past three years were very severe testing times for his government. “In the first and the second year, we faced the Covid-19 pandemic. There was the big challenge to manage the pandemic and make various arrangements. We fulfilled this responsibility, yet did not allow the pace of progress of the state to slacken,” the CM said.
“Along with development in all sectors, major steps were taken for the welfare of farmers, youth and women,” Chouhan added.
He reminded that Madhya Pradesh did not only help its own citizens but made arrangements for the labourers walking back home through the state with people’s help. The crisis management committees in the state became an example for the entire country.
Rs 2.25 crores for farmers
Chouhan said that despite the crisis, the state government deposited Rs 200 crores of crop insurance premiums for farmers. During the past three years, the government managed to put as much as Rs 2.25 crores in the accounts of the farmers through different schemes.
“While actively working for welfare of farmers, we also dreamt of self-reliant (Atma-Nirbhar) Madhya Pradesh and managed to lay a network of 4 lakh kms road and plan major expressways like the Atal Expressway, Narmada Expressway and Vindhya Expressway.”
The CM said that the government has managed to provide irrigation facilities in 45 lakh hectare farmlands and are now on the way to increase it to 65 lakh hectare area. The power production has risen to 28,000 MW and work is speedily being done in the solar energy sector. There is a plan to construct 14 ropeways in the state and work is about to start in Ujjain. In between, ‘Mahakaal-Mahalok’ was constructed.
Network of health facilities
“We decided to revolutionise the education and health sector. For this CM Rise Schools were established, a new education policy was launched, a decision was taken to start medical education in Hindi and several new medical colleges are being opened,” he said. Network of sub-health, primary health and community health centres was being spread and the state has achieved first spot in the country in making Ayushman (health) scheme cards.
Chouhan highlighted that after getting the tags of being Tiger state, Leopard state, Vulture state and Ghariyal state, Madhya Pradesh also managed to become the Cheetah state of the country. Tourism is witnessing huge growth.
Records in economy and employment
The chief minister claimed that the government has made new records in the economy and employment sector. About 1.24 lakh government jobs have been created and recruitment process was on. Every year, one lakh youth are being provided loans for self-entrepreneurships, the guarantee and interest subsidy for which is being given by the government. Employment is being generated by connecting 2.5 lakh people to banks. Under a new policy, budget provision has been made for a ‘learn and earn’ scheme for 1 lakh youth.
He said that the state has taken revolutionary steps for women’s welfare by introducing schemes like Ladli Behna and newer provisions in the Ladli Laxmi scheme. As many as 91 lakh new beneficiaries were added in different welfare schemes. The per capita income of the state has grown from Rs 11,000 to Rs 1.40 lakhs in two decades (2001-02 to 2022-23) while the size of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has continuously grown from Rs 71,000 crores to 13 lakh crores in these two decades.
