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We
are out to celebrate yet
another 15th August - a
Day when India attained
Independence from the
clutches of British rule
after a long struggle.
National
Flag would be unfurled,
speeches marked by
promises would be
delivered and various
other programs to mark the
day would be held at
several places. But is
that all? Certainly not.
The
freedom struggle was not
merely a struggle for
political freedom from the
foreign rule but also for
laying the foundations for
building a new India.
Besides, it also
represented the awakening
of the people of India
into the modern World.
Real celebration would,
therefore, be to get into
action to transform India
into a developed nation
with thrust on it's core
competencies.
President
APJ Abdul Kalam has, while
addressing the nation on
the eve of the last
Independence Day has
rightly said, "We
need to evolve and develop
specific missions
sector-wise to take
country forward in
self-sustaining
development".
It
is this idea that seems to
have clicked the
government of Madhya
Pradesh, lead by the Chief
Minister Babulal Gaur who
is making tireless efforts
to take the state forward
on the path of development
with its people centric
development enterprises
and policy priorities.
Be
it Roads, Energy, Trade
& Industry or even
Rationalisation of Taxes
and what not, the
government under Gaur has
a clear vision about the
state's economic
development with an eye on
all these segments. But
since economic growth
would remain mere
statistics if it does not
lead to an improvement in
the quality of life,
emphasis for development
has been laid in all
sectors including
Agriculture, Education and
Healthcare with village
development on the top.
In
the roads sector, a
concerted effort to
improve the roads is being
made with the emphasis on
sustainability by
incorporating private
sector investment for toll
roads. Assistance from all
possible quarters
including Government of
India and multilateral
financial institutions is
also being sought for
providing excellent road
infrastructure in the
State. Besides, equal
importance is being given
to State Highways as well
as rural roads to ensure
all weather connectivity
to the entire rural areas
from the block
headquarters to the
districts and on to the
State headquarters.
Coming
to Energy, the
augmentation of power
generation within the
State by using abundant
natural resources like
coal, coal bed methane and
hydel resources is being
given priority. The
transmission and
distribution network of
electricity is made more
efficient and there are
plans to open private
sector for energy sector.
The social needs of
agricultural sector as
well as the urban domestic
sector including students
shall get top most
attention.
So
far Industry and Trade is
concerned, the attitude of
the Government in this
context is Open, Trusting,
Efficient and Responsive
while making the
infrastructure, including
connectivity to major
ports by rail, road and
air, available. The
facilitation for
establishment of industry
in the State by
simplifying the procedures
has also been given high
priority.
Tax
Rationalisation :
Having abolished Form No.
75, which was required to
be submitted at the border
posts of Commercial Tax
Department, other
irritants to the trade and
industry regarding
collection of Commercial
Tax have also been
removed. Efforts are also
underway for further
simplification in the tax
collection regime with an
aim to broad base and
streamline the tax
collection mechanism after
due discussions with trade
and industry.
Agri
Sector :
In the agriculture sector,
the state government has
made provision of good
quality seeds and
fertilizer to farmers,
conversion of Single
cropping areas into double
cropping by providing good
quality inputs and proper
training, introduction of
good water resources
management to avail
maximum benefit from
existing irrigation
networks. Lining of canals
etc are being given high
priority to improve the
efficiency of irrigation
systems while the old
existing water reservoirs
are being augmented and
their irrigation networks
being improved.
Education:
Effective steps, including
improved mid-day meals,
have been taken to improve
attendance of children in
schools to attain 100 per
cent literacy and ensure
good quality education.
Besides, Vocational
streams are being
introduced in various
educational institutions
of the State to cater to
the needs of the sunrise
sectors in the country
like IT enabled services.
Efforts to promote
institutions providing
higher education in
Information Technology and
Bio-Technology sectors are
also being made.
Emphasis
on improved health: Madhya
Pradesh has one of the
highest infant mortality
levels in the country and
the state government is
trying to fight out the
menace. Of late, it has
come up with an innovative
proposal inviting
applications from private
and non-government
hospitals for providing
mother and child health
services to the common
people in the rural and
tribal areas where no
government hospital with
the facility of delivery
and infant care is
existing in a radius of 15
kilometres.
Financial
Discipline:
But since all this can be
possible only when the
financial health of the
state is good, the
government is also taking
harsh steps to impose
fiscal discipline. The
ratio of debt to the
State's Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) had shot up
from 23 per cent in the
year 2000 to 35 percent in
the year 2003 with the
result that it was even
impossible to maintain the
existing infrastructure,
let alone making fresh
investments in the
development sector.
Hence
putting the finances back
on track became one of the
major challenges before
the new government which
for the first time in the
past 16 years not only
conveniently avoided
overdraft even for a
single day but also
brought down the GDP ratio
to one per cent at the end
of fiscal 2004-05.
Gaur
has himself on the last
Foundation Day of the
state promised an
efficient, disciplined and
corruption-free
administration to give a
momentum to development of
Madhya Pradesh.
"Well-thought
out and result-oriented
programmes had been
launched for the State's
faster development. The
State Government's
commitment to composite
development was amply
articulated in the
initiatives like Ayodhya
Basti, Gokul Gram,
Panch-Ja strategy for all
out development and
Deendayal Upadhyay
Upchar-Parivahan Yojana",
he claimed.
Following
new Industrial Promotion
Policy, proposed
investment of Rs. 1500
crore in Gwalior,
Mandideep and Budhni in a
little span of time is
indicative of a
progressive trend in the
State's industrial
development scenario, he
claimed adding that a
fresh beginning has also
been made in the emerging
areas like tourism, food
processing and information
technology.
Expressing
concern over the
continuing backwardness in
the State even after five
decades of Independence,
Gaur said that the State
Government had resolved
for speedy and composite
development.
"The
priorities of the
government are clear and
they shall be ensured by
putting effective
mechanism in place, and
making the government work
in an efficient public
delivery service mode to
attain self sustaining
development - a key to a
developed nation.
Cheers
!
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