Shivraj Singh Chouhan carving an Aatm-nirbhar Madhya Pradesh by turning challenges into opportunity
Monday - March 22, 2021 12:43 am ,
Category : MADHYA PRADESH
Preparation of roadmap in one year and its implementation begins
Bhopal 21 March 2021: Battling the worst natural disaster of the century - the Corona pandemic, which shook the entire world, and successfully taking the state out of it with minimal loss was nothing short of an extraordinary effort. While the Corona pandemic adversely affected public health, it broke the backbone of the state’s economy. On the one hand, providing free and excellent medical facilities to every citizen for the prevention and treatment of Corona, and on the other hand, the work of revival of trade, business and service sector shut down due to lockdown could have done by only that person whose life’s sole objective is to serve the people.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has done this work in a short period of one year in Madhya Pradesh. He turned a serious challenge into an opportunity and not only effectively prevented Corona infection in the state, ensured best treatment to Corona affected, successfully conducted vaccination campaign but also infused new life into an apparently dead economy.
23 March 2020 - This was the day when Shivraj Singh Chouhan got the reins of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time. The Corona pandemic had spread its roots in the state and there was no system of prevention and treatment. Chouhan was well aware of this crisis. That is why, after taking oath, he went directly to Mantralaya and took a meeting for arrangements of Corona. Then, the work of preventing Corona infection and giving every Corona affected person the best treatment, began on war footing. Work on the strategy of IITT i.e. Investigate, Identify, Test and Treat was effectively done in the state. Chief Minister Chouhan used to review the condition and arrangements of Corona with each district daily through video conferencing and would monitor the treatment being administered to each serious patient. Every life was precious to him, which he did not want to lose. The result was effective control over Corona, sustained increase in Corona recovery rate and minimal mortality rate.
A big problem that surface soon after lock down, was the labourers of Madhya Pradesh being trapped in different states of the country and labourers of other states stuck in Madhya Pradesh. Arrangement of food, accommodation, medicines etc. was not a simple task. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh pledged that every worker, whether he is from Madhya Pradesh or outside, will be given all essential facilities. The government made arrangements for everything right from food, water, housing to shoes and slippers. Money was deposited in the accounts of the trapped labourers. Later, all the labourers were brought back to Madhya Pradesh by special trains and buses. Along with this, thousands of buses were deployed to leave the labourers of other states on Madhya Pradesh border. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan resolved that ‘no one will sleep hungry on the soil of Madhya Pradesh and no labourer will go to his house on foot’. He fulfilled both his resolves hundred percent.
The third major challenge was to buy the ready crop of farmers at support price. As the Corona infection was rising steadily, the task seemed like impossible. The specialty of Shivraj Singh Chouhan is that he refuses to gives up. The bigger the challenge, the more his courage increases. Complete arrangements were made for procurement at support price, following all the precautions related to Corona. The task that seemed impossible got completed in such a manner that the whole country hailed it. Leaving behind the state of Punjab, maximum one crore 29 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was procured on support price in Madhya Pradesh. This achievement was not a trivial one that too in Corona crisis.
After providing relief to the farmers and labourers in a collapsed economy, the government now shifted its attention to those small street vendors, who earned their livelihood in cities and villages by putting up carts etc. and doing business on pavements. Their work had totally come to a halt. They had to face livelihood crisis. Loan of Rs. 10 thousand was made available to the urban eligible businessmen under the Kendriya Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana. Taking this forward, Chief Minister Chouhan also arranged for working capital of Rs 10 thousand each in Madhya Pradesh not only for urban street vendors but also for rural street vendors without having to give interest and guarantee to banks.
Also, to make women self-help groups strong and self-reliant, they were provided loans at very low interest rates through bank linkage. Apart from this, payment of advance amount of social security pension, honorarium to cooks, financial assistance especially to backward tribes, payment of scholarship to students, increase in support price of small forest produce, assistance to construction workers, various schemes under Sambal Yojana supply of nutritious food for children, etc. were the steps which infused life in the dead economy. Madhya Pradesh government also started giving Rs 4 thousand as Samman Nidhi to the farmers, in addition to the amount of Rs 6 thousand annually. This increased the amount of Kisan Samman Nidhi to Rs 10 thousand yearly and became a big relief for small farmers.
After providing immediate assistance and relief to all sections in Corona crisis, now the turn was to do stable work for the development and progress of the state and welfare of the people. A road map of Aatm-nirbhar Madhya Pradesh was first created in Madhya Pradesh to embody the concept of Aatm-nirbhar Bharat created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its four major components were - education and health, good governance, infrastructure development and economy and employment. After several rounds of discussion with the subject experts and members of NITI Aayog, not only was the road map of Aatm-nirbhar Madhya Pradesh prepared but work on it was also started at a fast pace.
Works including infrastructure development in education and health, establishment of wellness centers, excellent district hospital and medical college hospital, free treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to every poor person under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, prompt implementation of new education policy, improve the quality of education, establishment of CM Rice School, development of sports grounds etc. are being done.
While public service guarantee scheme has been expanded to facilitate the delivery of public services to citizens in the last one year for good governance, facility to make Khasra-Khatauni copy, caste, income certificate etc. available on mobile only was also provided. At the same time, strict curbs were imposed on criminal elements to ensure peaceful situation in the state. Chief Minister Chouhan took a pledge to free the state from mafia. Strict action was taken against the sand mafia, land mafia, liquor mafia, drug mafia, chit fund companies etc. in the state. Thousands of acres of land were freed from encroachments, while the properties of chit fund companies were confiscated and their money was returned to the public.
Missing girls were traced and sent back to their homes under Operation Muskan. Considerable work was done to honour and protect women. Respect for women was protected by creating new laws like the Freedom of Religion Bill.
Central funds were used more and more for infrastructure development. The Chambal Expressway was turned into Atal Progress-Way. Narmada Expressway is also planned. Industrial clusters will be developed on either side of these two expressways.
Efforts are being made to create maximum employment by bringing maximum investment in the state under economy and employment, the fourth component of Aatm-nirbhar Madhya Pradesh. ‘Start Your Business in Thirty Days’ ‘Ease of doing business’ has been ensured for industries and they were provided with a variety of facilities. Labour laws were amended and made in line with the welfare of workers as well as the development of industries. Along with Cottage indutries, small and medium industries are also being encouraged. To encourage local products, work is being done on the ‘Local for Vocal’ scheme. Efforts are being made to identify and market products of every region in the country and abroad under the ‘Ek Zila-Ek Utpad scheme.
Public welfare is paramount for Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Service to the public is his worship. He has conceptualized the welfare state in Madhya Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, apart from food, clothing, shelter, education, medicine and employment, people are also getting peace of mind, intellect and soul. For this, the entire governance system is working day and night.
One month's ration on day’s wages is being provided for food. The Shivraj government made this available to 37 lakh poor families who were not getting the benefits of this scheme. Under the Deendayal Rasoi Yojana, cooked food is also being provided at subsidized rates. The second important work that the Shivraj government is doing in this regard is to ensure that every person gets a permanent house in the next 3 years.
For this, work has started on a war footing. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has resolved that no person will live in a kuccha house. Along with this, people are also getting their ownership rights of their land and houses. Tribals are being given forest rights pattas. In the government schools, students are being provided all the necessary facilities for reading and writing apart from free uniforms, bicycles etc. The meritorious students are being provided with laptops. The government has also been supportive of private colleges for higher education and for studying abroad.
Shivraj Singh Chauhan has ensured that every person in the state gets the best possible health care. The best example of this was effective control and best treatment of the disease in the Corona period. Excellent arrangements were made for free examination and treatment of Corona in the state. Two crore Ayushman cards have been made in the state to provide excellent healthcare to the poor in identified private hospitals.
Along with recruitment to vacant government posts in the state, continuous efforts are also being made to provide employment in the private sector. Monthly employment fairs are being organized in every district, every block, where a large number of young men and women are getting employment to the best of their ability. In rural areas, while unskilled workers were provided employment under schemes like MNREGA etc. in the Shram Siddhi Abhiyan, everyone is getting employment according to their qualifications through the employment bridge portal.
Besides providing all the basic facilities to the public, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is also concerned about the enjoyment of the mind and the soul of the people. For the pleasure of the mind, folk arts, cultural activities and sports etc. are being promoted. There is a plan to have a playground in every panchayat. Efforts are being made to expose the talents of the state for the mental development, emphasis is being laid on the intellectual development of children. At the same time, works are being done by the Adhyatm Department in the state for happiness of the soul. Chouhan believes that during the Corona period, the work done by the government and people of Madhya Pradesh for migrant labourers of the state, as well as of other states is the greatest spiritual joy – Window to News
