Scenario in Madhya Pradesh is changing very fast. A state with a stigma of "bimaru" state only thirty months back is now one of the pioneer states in industrial development. The Union Minister for Finance, Shri P. Chidambaram has praised for the financial management, cash balance and tax recovery in the state. For the first time in 30 years the state has presented a surplus budget. The budget has prioritised building roads, irrigation, power, education and health. The Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has sounded the bugle of development. Condition of roads has miraculously improved. With the several decisions taken in the larger interests of farmers and mass marriages of poor girls, quick redressal of problems by Chief Minister himself under Samdahan Online CM's active participation in "School Chalein Hum" campaign, Jalabhishek Abhiyan to uplift the underwater table have developed a feeling among the common man that they have a CM among themselves. With the pace the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan is giving a concrete shape to his dreams of a prosperous, fast emerging developed state which is not only competing with its neighbouring states also can match the speed of global progress.

The Madhya Pradesh has topped in Employment Guarantee Scheme by providing employment to over 18 lakh needy persons worth Rs. 936.17 crore in 18 districts during last nine months. The second ranking state Bihar is well behind with an investment of Rs. 405.3 crore followed by Jharkhand with Rs.376.19 crore investment, Uttar Pradesh with Rs. 334.99 crore, Orissa with Rs. 315.17 crore, Andhra Pradesh with Rs. 200 crore under the scheme.

Public Private Partnership

Madhya Pradesh also enjoys the first position in implementation of Public -Private Partnership (PPP), reveals a report submitted by the World Bank following the monitoring of a number of PPP schemes. Under the PPP, works relating to basic amenities like construction of roads, bridge, electricity and water supply are taken up in cooperation with the people and private companies. In current development storm, the way Madhya Pradesh utilised the PPP is really praise worthy. A total of 86 PPP are being carried out in India. This includes 22 in Madhya Pradesh alone and 64 in remaining 34 states. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan opined that PPP is a new way to development. People's aspirations can be fulfilled with quality construction works within less time.

School Chalein Hum

Till date, whole state is busy in enrolling the every dropout and non-school going children in the age group are between 5 and 14 years in school. The way the Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, district administrations, teachers, officials are engaged in it seems the "School Chalein Hum" campaign under the "Education For All" would register cent percent success in enrolling every child in school. While issuing directives to his cabinet colleagues and officers, Chief Minister said that illiteracy is like polio for the society. Like polio, try to ensure enrolment of every school going children in school this academic session to eradicate the illiteracy.

Considering primary education as the foundation of a progressive society the present state government has paid special attention to improve school education as well as higher education. A revised Mid-Day Meal Scheme has been implemented to increase enrollment and retention in schools. Special care has been taken of improving quality of teaching. An Operation Quality has been launched to train about one lakh untrained teachers. As many as 9862 new school buildings have been constructed and work on another 5500 is in progress. Most of these schools are in rural areas. A School for Excellence has been set up in every development block .A Vivekanand Career Guidance Scheme has been initiated for providing guidance to the students after clearing X class. About 50 thousand teachers are being appointed on contract basis, which include 50 percent reservation for women. Uniforms free of cost have been provided to 46 lakh girl students and free textbooks to one crore six lakh students studying from standard first to eighth. Besides, 40 thousand bicycles have been provided to girl students of class IX in rural areas. Now, urban girls would be benefited under the scheme too. "Gaon Ki Beti Scheme" has been launched to promote higher education among girls in rural areas. Rs. 500 per month scholarship is provided to the girl students under the scheme. By the year 2006-07, all the primary schools of Madhya Pradesh would be having building of their own.

Approval has been given for construction of 10 thousand 283 kitchen-sheds worth Rs. 31 crore 54 lakh in primary schools of the state.

People visiting after a short span of 2-3 years are surprised to see the condition of the roads. Once roads in a awesome condition are now adding thrill to tourists. The present state government gave top priority to construction and upgradation of roads. It is brought out by the fact that the state government almost doubled the budget provision for this sector in comparison to last year. At the same time, fruitful efforts were made to mobilize funds from the Centre for this purpose. The last two and half years have seen construction of close to 29 thousand km long roads. Government plans to construct 40 thousand km. roads in next two and half years. In the sixth phase, construction of 1700 km. long road costing Rs. 1800 crore is being launched. In Madhya Pradesh, roads are being constructed at a pace of 22 km. per day.

Madhya Pradesh also ranked first in building roads in rural sector. Over 10 thousand 529 km. roads have been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. An amunt of Rs. 2140 crore has been spent on construction of these roads. The National Quality Monitoring System has adjudged the roads in rural areas as best in whole country. During the last two and a half years, over four thousand villages have been linked with pucca roads. In rural sector, Construction of 1602 km roads has been taken up with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank. A Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation has been set up for construction and upgradation of roads. The state government has notified it as State Highway Authority. All the state roads have been transferred to it for development.

The road construction works are going on apace in all parts of the state and the day is not far off when roads in the state would be a matter of pride and not a butt of jokes.

Transmission capacity has been increased by 30 percent and 1145 M.W. generation capacity has been added. Provision of Rs. 1782 crore has been made for meeting irrigation pumps, arrears of farmers. Another Rs. 510 crore have been allocated the ease the burden of farmers and poor people. Once enviably placed in power sector having the distinction of a power surplus state Madhya Pradesh miserably lagged behind in this sector with the gap between demand and supply widening continuously over the years. The present government made concerted efforts towards resolving the unprecedented power crisis. Anyway, efforts are afoot to tide over the crisis at the earliest possible make the state a surplus state again.

Indira Sagar Project has started generating 1000 MW and work of a project for generation of 700 MW thermal power is going on. In order to ensure quality power supply the work of laying new transmission and distribution lines and improving the existing ones is in progress on a large scale.

Efforts are being made to meet maximum possible demand by purchasing additional power from different power trading companies. In last two and half years work has been intensified on construction of Amarkantak, Birsinghpur and Omkareshwar powerhouses. By the year 2007-08, work on Malikheda Project with a capacity of 580 MW, Bansagar Project with 80 MW and Birsinghpur with 500 MW capacity would be completed. The state would be getting additional 139 MW from Sardar Sarovar, 244 MW from central zone. Moreover, by the year 2008-09, Amarkantak Project would be providing 210 MW, Omkareshwar Project 260 MW, central zone 786 MW additional electricity. Energy symbolises lifeline for a bright future.

Provision has been made to spend Rs. 1908 crore on AIBP and 275 irrigation projects in Madhya Pradesh. The average budgetary allocation for irrigation has been quadrupleted from Rs. 450 crore in last decade to Rs. 1194 crore in 2005-06. With this, an additional capacity of irrigation on 95,000 hectare has been created.

Jalabhishek Abhiyan and Khet-Talab Yojana have been launched to augment water table. Over one lakh 69 thousand 341 works of water structures worth over Rs. 680 crores have been launched since the implementation of scheme in the month of April. Salient feature is that, of this an amount of Rs. 25 crore has been spent by people. Similarly, construction of 26 thousand 907 field tanks is in progress. Cent percent subsidy is being provided to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes farmers for construction of tank on their fields. While half of the expenditure on building of tank over the lakhs of other farmers is being borne by the state government. Compared to irrigation facility on 49 thousand hectares of land five years back, farmers have irrigated 95 thousand hectares land this year in Madhya Pradesh. Next generation would taste better the fruits of this scheme. When water scarcity threat is increasing alarmingly in various parts of the country. Budget for irrigation has bee doubled this year in state too.

CM Shri Chauhan's unique concept of Mass marriages scheme is also gaming popularity in MP. In couple of months nearly nine thousand marriageable girls including widows and divorcee of poor family got married. The State Govt. Besides arranging marriage the Govt. provides Rs. five thousand for marriage purpose and Rs one thousand additional to the couple.

With a view to bringing about prosperity through irrigation in water deficit and drought affected areas, a Ken-Betwa river-linking project has been implemented which is the first project of its kind in the country. Parvati-Kalisind-Chambal river linking project would also be implemented. These would cost about Rs. 9 thousand crore and about 7 lakh hectare would be irrigated in 12 districts. The Ken-Betwa river linking project would also generate 72 MW power.

The Centre has recently cleared five fast track projects, which would increase power generation by 25,000 M.W. to 30,000 M.W. in Madhya Pradesh. The projects would be completed within four years. Chief Minister is also pursing four proposals for Madhya Pradesh in non-conventional energy sector. These projects include Energy Park at Bhopal, Wind Energy Project at Matamkheda in Ratlam and Mathuria in Shajapur etc. From day one the present government paid special attention to accelerate pace to industrialisation. The new industrial Promotion Policy has created a favourable atmosphere to investment in industries. As per the Tata Services, the proposed industrial investment in Madhya Pradesh was Rs. 73,608 crore with an implementation average of 72 percent against the percentage in Himachal Pradesh at 65, Rajasthan 64, Haryana 62.7, Delhi 61.7, and Andhra Pradesh 47.7 percent. According to survey carried out by the India Business Journal Madhya Pradesh is ahead of Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan so far as proposed and implementation of capital investment is concerned. Journal says Madhya Pradesh is an ideal state in view of industrial investment because it is fortunate to have rich mineral deposits, diamond mines, copper, dolomite, coal, coalbed methane, rock phosphate, lime stone, manganese ore etc. Madhya Pradesh is also popular for its industrial peace, low price labourers availability key location. Now developing roads, enough power also attracting industrial groups to the state.

Two and half years ago the present government came to power on the plank of development. The government inherited empty coffers; and an inertia prevailed in almost every sector of development. The government had its tasks cut out for it- giving Madhya Pradesh the development path, it was craving desperately, while putting the state’s economy back on the tracks. The state has an irony since its very inception. The irony is that it has been endowed with rich natural wealth yet it miserably failed to leverage upon this wealth due, mainly, to lack of requisite infrastructure. 

True to its promise with the people the present government made successful efforts to set things right in priority sectors including road, irrigation, education, health, employment etc while at the same time improving the fiscal health of the state. A special feature of this endeavour has been that in last 30 months development did not suffer slackness at any point of time; and there has been a continuity in development process.

Sunita Dube