D.K. Malviya

The sages, savants, political leaders and visionaries have all along dreamt of an egalitarian society with equal opportunities of progress to all sections and equitable distribution of resources and wealth. Unfortunately it still remains a dream with, of course, some exceptions here and there. It has been the case with every country and state, for that matter. And Madhya Pradesh is no exception. Rather, this heartland state has a poorer record in this respect mainly for historical reasons. For all the well-meaning efforts of the successive governments, the lot of socio-economically weaker sections is still far from satisfactory, needing more committed efforts.

The present government in Madhya Pradesh has, from day one, shown a genuine concern for ameliorating the lot of these sections with particular emphasis on the lowliest of the lowly, by extending them every possible help to struggle out of the margin they have been condemned to for ages.

Despite forming fifty percent population women still remain one of the most marginalized sections meriting immediate attention on the part of government, among other things, to bring them on a better footing.

The present Madhya Pradesh government has worked with commitment over last three years towards empowerment of women, with many first to its credit. Taking a lead in the country Madhya Pradesh government has provided 50 percent reservation to women in panchayats and civic bodies. It has launched pioneering schemes like Gaon Ki Beti and Ladali Laxami Yojana, as part of its well-contemplated measures to help them realize their full potential.

The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has shown a rare concern to correct the male: female ratio in the state. To this end, he has come out with a most imaginative and novel scheme that he christened Ladali Laxami Yojana. The scheme takes care of a girl child right from the day she comes into the world to her adulthood. The scheme aims at changing the age-old psyche that girls are a burden or a curse. Shri Chouhan wants society to look at girls as a boon. Under this scheme, a National Saving Certificate of Rs. 6000 is purchased in her name at the time of her birth. The same is repeated annually for six years. Thus, National Saving Certificates of Rs. 30,000 are purchased in her name. A sum of Rs. two thousand is paid to her when she clears V class, Rs. four thousand on clearing VIII class, Rs, 7,500 on getting through X class and Rs. 200 per month is given to her on passing XI and XII class. She would get a sum of Rs. one lakh 18 thousand on attaining the age of 21 years. The unique scheme would go a long way to encourage birth of girl child and to ensure her a safe, secure and bright future.

Besides, towards prevention of female foeticide, the state government has announced a Rs. 10 thousand cash award on giving information of female foeticide. These schemes would greatly help promote birth of girl child and her well being.

At the initiative of the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the state government has launched a Kanyadan Yojana for marriage of girls from poor families at government expenditure. So far, over 35 girls have been married under the scheme.

In order to curb maternal mortality rate the state government has implemented Jannai Suraksha Yojana and to provide free transportation facility for institutional deliveries. These measures have increased institutional deliveries from 27 to 52 percent. Besides, the infant mortality rate has come down from 82 to 70 and maternal mortality rate from 498 to 379 per lakh. A pre-delivery assistance scheme has also been launched for women of ultimate poor families. Various novel programmes like God Bharai, Janmotsava and Anna Prashan have been introduced in Anganwadi centres to take care of the welfare of expectant and nursing mothers and children. In God Bharai, an expectant mother is provided mother and child protection card and iron folic acid tablets along with a coconut, vermilion and bangles as gift. The women of poor families are given Rs. 500 along with these articles. After a long gap of 35 years the diet provided at Anganwari centres has been changed as a result of which now 20 types of diet are being provided there. Last year, 9937 new Anganwadi centres were opened and another 9914 ones are to be opened soon.

In recognition of the fact that education is the key to progress in life, especially in case of women, the state government has paid special attention to education of girls. A unique Gaon Ki Beti scheme has been introduced to encourage talented rural girls for higher education. After passing the XII examination in first division the village girls are provided a scholarship for further education and no fee is charged from them. Ninth class girls going outside their villages to schools are provided free bi-cycles. Now this scheme has been extended to cover VI class girl students from this year. Besides, free textbooks, uniforms and other incentives have been provided to promote girl education in the state.

Empowerment of women is top on the agenda of the state government. Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country to provide for 50 percent reservation for women in panchayats and civic bodies. Ten percent posts have been reserved for women in police force. Under Swayamsiddha Yojana, 41 thousand women have been benefited by constituting 3667 self-help groups in 36 blocks of 13 districts. Six districts have been covered under the first phase of Tejaswini rural empowerment scheme. These include Tikamgarh, Panna, Chhatarpur, Balaghat, Dindori and Mandla. Under this Rs. 160 crore scheme, 12 thousand self-help groups of women would be organized in selected districts.

The state government is providing nursing training at its expenditure to five hundred girls. Fifteen hundred posts of staff nurse have been created and regular appointment has been given to one thousand staff nurses. Nine hundred ANMs have also been appointed. The budget of Women Economic Development Corporation has been increased from Rs. five crore to Rs. 25 crore. The honorarium of Anganwari workers has been doubled.

It has also been decided to raise a Rani Durgawati Battalion of women to be posted in identified police stations as part of measures to curb atrocities against women and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have always been a most deprived, marginalized and aggrieved section of society. Due attention has been paid to their welfare.

The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan convened the Panchayats of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to hold a direct dialogue with them about their problems and elicit their views in solving them. After giving a patient hearing to them, he announced a slew of measures to promote their welfare. The amount of scholarship and stipend to the students of these two weaker sections has been considerably increased and linked to the price index. He announced to provide television sets with D.T.C. facility to all hostels. He also increased the incentive amount for girls of these sections to continue education. He also announced some cash awards for meritorious students.

The government has decided to provide free coaching and residential facility to scheduled caste students aspiring to face U.P.S.C. examinations and to provide facility of English and computer teaching in post-matric hostels. It has been decided to hire the vehicles in government offices from scheduled caste persons. The government would bear the expenditure of education of students selected by national level institutions. State level awards have been instituted for Dalit littérateurs, artistes and the atrinsts and financial assistance would be provided for publication of their books. Cent percent grant would be provided to scheduled caste farmers for construction of farm ponds. A monitoring cell would be created in Chief Minister’s secretariat for review of cases pertaining to scheduled castes. It has been decided to set up 14 new special courts to facilitate quick justice in cases of persecution of people of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The amount of cash award for inter-caste marriages has been increased from Rs. ten thousand to Rs. 50 thousand. The amount of cash award to panchayats for outstanding work towards eradication of untouchability has also been doubled to Rs. one lakh. The Chief Minister has announced six new schemes for people of scheduled castes. These aim at providing them better facilities of employment.

The state government has given proper attention to health and education sectors also. A number of fruitful initiatives have been taken to provide better health care facilities to the people by improving the conditions in government health institutions and initiating new schemes.

Over last three years 12 new district hospitals have been set up. Eleven health institutions have been converted to civil hospitals. Fifty primary health centres have been upgraded to 30-bed community health centres. Three trauma units have been set up at Guna, Shivpuri and Ratlam. Nine diagnostic centres have been set up in different districts. Over 51 lakh families are being issued family health cards under Deen Dayal Upchar Yojana for free medical treatment and over two lakh women have been provided the facility of free transportation for institutional deliveries. As a result of this, the percent of institutional deliveries has gone to from 27.7 to 53 percent. As per a survey of Government of India the MMR has come down from 498 to 379 per lakh in Madhya Pradesh. Deen Dayal Mobile Clinics have been pressed into service in eleven tribal blocks of the state. So far, over two lakh tribal populations has benefited from this. Madhya Pradesh has stood first in implementation of 11 Reproductive Health Programmes. A number of posts of doctor and para medical staff have been filled up to improve facilities at government medical institutions.

A special drive has been carried out for enrollment of non-school going children with encouraging success. Primary education facility has been ensured within a radius of one km of every habitation and a middle school within a radius of three km. A total of 25965 Education Guarantee Schools have been converted to regular schools under SSA.

In order to encourage girls for further education after clearing primary school, girls getting admission in IX , having to go out of their village to attend school are provided free bi-cycles. So far, 1,59,281 girls have been provided this facility. The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has decided to extend this facility to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes getting admission in VI standard. There is a target to distribute bi-cycles to 1 lakh 48 thousand girls.

Particular attention has been paid to improving the quality of school education, higher education and technical education. As many as 96,960 teachers are undergoing training under Operation Quality to improve the quality of teaching. Teachers are bieng appointed through a transparent selection process and 50 percent posts have been reserved for women. So far, 45,000 teachers have been appointed. In order to ensure dignity to teachers, the Shikshakarmi culture has been abolished and a new teacher cadre created. Buildings have been sanctioned for cent percent primary schools. So far, 23,883 buildings have been constructed. A Vivekanand Career Guidance scheme has been started to guide the students for choosing their career after clearing XII class. Over 15 lakh students have benefited from it so far. The facility of free textbooks and uniforms has been extended to cover school students of all classes.

The state has made efforts to keep pace with the fast changes in higher education. Over last three years 164 job-oriented courses have been introduced in 58 colleges. Teaching through EDUSAT and virtual classrooms has been started. Library automation has been complete in 88 major colleges. A Private University Act has been enacted to facilitate opening of private colleges. A Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya Bill has been passed for establishment of a Sanskrit University. The government has taken care of government servants as well. In last three years, 25 DA has been provided to them. The same facility has been given to the pensioners. A long pending demand of government employees to merge their 50 percent D.A. in basic pay has been fulfilled. A number of other measures have been taken for welfare of employees and their families.

One will, thus, conclude that in last three years the state government has taken measures for betterment of people of all sections with special emphasis on welfare of the weakest, while at the same time improving the infrastructure to leverage the rich natural wealth of the state for its all round development.