Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has emerged as one of the most competent chief ministers after successfully completing his first year in office. Under his leadership the state Government has successfully met the challenges in key areas of development besides taking care of the interests of every section of society focussing on farmers, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes and women. The Chief Minister's able and dynamic leadership and his commitment towards giving the people an impartial, transparent, and responsive administration has resulted in a year of rapid progress for the state. In the three years it has been in office, the present Madhya Pradesh Government has many achievements to its credit.

Three years back the Government’s coffers were empty, there was an acute shortage of water and power and roads were in a dilapidated condition. Due to poor infrastructure, industrial groups were avoiding the State for investment and factories were closing down. The steps initiated three years back for the progress and welfare of the people have gathered pace under the able leadership of the Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The achievements of the state are listed below:

• There has been no case of overdraft for three years now.

• The Government presented a surplus budget for the first time in the history of the State.

• The Government’s account for the first 6 months of the current fiscal year don’t show a deficit.

• In the last financial year, Madhya Pradesh received an incentive amount of Rs. 260 crore from the Centre for its accelerated development initiatives.

• In the first 6 months of the current fiscal year itself, there has been an increase of more than 100 percent under 6 heads of revenue collection.

• First time budget of profit presented this year.

• New Industrial Policy has been formed to attract investment in Madhya Pradesh.

• Madhya Pradesh was declared the 'fastest moving State' in infrastructure and agriculture and overall progress by the India Today Group at its conclave held at New Delhi on September 1, 2006. The award was given away by the President of India Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam.

• The Union Rural Development Minister, Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, has commended Madhya Pradesh for best performance among all States in the Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. Two crore persons in 18 districts of the State have been provided employment so far under the scheme.

• Tops in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana. 11 thousand 110 kms of roads, connecting 4134 villages have been constructed. Under PMGSY, roads are being constructed at a pace of 8 km. per day.

• Madhya Pradesh becomes first state in the country to implement Cyber Treasury System.

• Pioneer state in implementation of "Street Vendors Scheme".

• First state in the country to launch "Tele Payment Scheme".

• First state of the country to launch 'Mentally Challenged Persons' Welfare Cell'.

• Tops in the country by providing free insurance cover to 64 thousand 290 fishermen under the Fishermen Cooperative Scheme during the year 2005-06.

• Achieved first rank in implementation of Fishermen Cooperative Schemes among inland states.

• Pioneer in utilisation of Video Conferencing System. Video conferencing system has been used for 909 hours in a couple of years.

• MP leads in mustard production.

• Dewas Industrial Water Supply Scheme becomes first B.O.T. based project of the country.

• Madhya Pradesh tops in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with implementation of 25 percent schemes of the country in state.

• Maximum number of electrified villages are located in Madhya Pradesh. Electricity generation has increased by 1898 megawatt in last three years. Out of 51,806 populated villages so far, 50,474 villages have been electrified.

• Madhya Pradesh also stands first in carrying out quality assessment work for maintenance of drinking water quality.

• Kanha declared as the best managed Tiger Reserve in the country.

• Well ahead in leprosy eradication. Achieves target prior to seven years of prescribed date.

• First agriculture produce treatment plant based on electron beam technology is being installed in Indore.

• Madhya Pradesh tops in implementation of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Programme among 18 high focus states.

• Madhya Pradesh also ranks first in the country in the works carried out in the field of Panchayati Raj institutions.

• Madhya Pradesh becomes the pioneer state in providing information about vehicles through e-service.

• First National Sailing School begins in Bhopal.

• Madhya Pradesh tops in vasectomy in the country.

• Work launched on the first River Linking Project (Ken-Betwa) of the country.

• Website of Directorate of Public Relations, Government of Madhya Pradesh becomes the first website in the country which delivers news in four languages - Hindi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit.

• Madhya Pradesh tops in implementation of recommendations of Vaidyanathan Committee.

• Madhya Pradesh bags "Oil and Gas Conservation Award" for checking adulteration and misuse of petroleum products.

• Madhya Pradesh emerges as a pioneer state in implementation of urban development programmes being carried out under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

• Madhya Pradesh gets first prize in South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange.

• Office of the Superintendent of Police, Dewas becomes first I.S.O. certified office of the country.

Other Remarkable Achievements

• Madhya Pradesh secures second rank in drinking water supply management in the country.

• Madhya Pradesh tops in expenditure on national highway improvement and second in implementation of projects according to a report of the Union Surface Transport Ministry.

• Maximum irrigation potential of ninth five-year plan created during year 2005-06.

• Sarva Shiksha Ahbiyan : Madhya Pradesh second in fund utilisation. Rs. 1040 crore spent under the S.S.A.

• Samadhan Online Scheme begins from Jabalpur to redress people's grievances within 24 hours.

• First Women Panchayat organised

• Gender budget from year 2007-08.

• 50% reservation for women in local bodies

• Rs. One lakh deposit under the Girl Child Security Scheme.

• Women Desk in selected police stations.

• Rs. 10 thousand prize for information on female foeticide.

• Ten percent reservation in police service.

• Madhya Pradesh has got capital investment proposals worth Rs. One lakh three thousand crore for the first time. Tops in the country with 72 percent implementation of industrial investment.

• e-governance : M.P. one of top four states in the country.

• Bags second place in implementation of National Crèche Scheme.

• Mid Day Meal Scheme: Stands second in the country by providing mid day meal to 87 lakh children studying in 87 thousand 500 schools of the state.

• Nationwide impact of Madhya Pradesh's unique "Jalabhishek Abhiyan"-Over two lakh water structures formed.

• Kisan Ayog constituted in Madhya Pradesh, Khet-Talab Scheme, fixation of Patwari Halka Unit are lauded by the Rasthriya Kisan Ayog . Over One lakh tanks have been constructed under the Khet-Talab Scheme.

• Madhya Pradesh exceeds 90 percent of the target in implementation of 20-Point Programme.

• Sanjay Project of Sidhi district becomes sixth Tiger Project of the country.

• Madhya Pradesh second in agriculture census.

• So far, 22 thousand kilometre roads have been constructed.

• Next couple of years would see another construction of 40 thousand kilometre long roads in Madhya Pradesh.

• New policy has come up for minor hydel power projects.

• Constitution of women battalion.

• Malnutrition substantially controlled under the "Sanjeevani Abhiyan:.

• Tejaswini Rural Women Empowerment Scheme launched in six districts of the state.

• To reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and to encourage institutionalized delivery, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Vijaye Raje Janani Beema Kalyan yojana and Janani Express Yojana have been started. As a result the rate of institutaionalised delivery has increased from 26 to 51.3 percent, in turn improving the MMR.

• Gaon Ki Beti Scheme launched to encourage meritorious girls in rural areas to get higher education.

• Bicycles being provided free of cost to girl students.

• Mukhya Mantri Kanya Anudan Yojna launched.

• Ten thousand new anganwadi kendras opened.

• Interest rates of cooperative loans decreased to seven percent.

• Department of agriculture christened as Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Department.

• Electricity bills of farmers worth Rs. 2200 crore waived off.

• Subsidy provision made for farmers to buy bullock carts or cattle.

• Electronic weighing machines installed in "mandis".

• Relief being provided to natural calamity affected farmers, has been doubled.

• Additional irrigation potential has been created on three lakh hectares of land.

• Toilets and drinking water facilities have been provided in every government school.

• New Forest Policy has been formulated.

• Ten percent hike in collection-wages of forest dwellers.

• As many as 400 forest check posts set up to curb forest crimes.

• Development of non-forest wasteland.

• e-tendering arrangement has been made for government tenders.

• Utthan Abhiyan launched for welfare of disabled persons.

• Mass marriage scheme launched under the Deendayal Antyodaya Mission for daughters of poor persons.

• Flying squads abolished to curb illegal recovery from vehicles.

• Principals of government colleges and higher secondary schools delegated powers to issue temporary learning driving licence.

• For government employees, who had been feeling humiliated and neglected under the previous dispensation, the State Government has taken the following measures: 1/The Dearness Allowance has been increased by 20 percent and pensioners have been provided with Dearness Relief of 25 percent. In contrast, in the previous 3 years Dearness Allowance of only 4 percent had been announced and pensioners had been given Dearness Relief of only 8 percent, and even these were not paid in cash. 2/The salaries of shikshakarmis, contract teachers, panchayat karmis, and homeguards, all of whom had very low remuneration, have been increased. 3/The daily wage employees who had been retrenched have been reinstated.

The development initiatives of the Government in the last three years, especially for women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the relief from everyday problems like poor availability of power and water, have definitely improved the living conditions of the people of Madhya Pradesh. There is hope that Madhya Pradesh will lead the nation in the pace of economic development and progress.

Sunita Dube