Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday promised well-connected road system, increased power generation and schemes for farmers while releasing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election manifesto here ahead of upcoming polls.
“First, we are thinking of dealing with infrastructure. Around 5,000 villages do not have proper roads. In five years, we will not leave any village in Madhya Pradesh which is not connected to ‘Mukhyamantri Baramasi Sadak Yojna’ (which mainly focuses on linking smaller villages through a well-connected road infrastructure will be carried on further),” said Chouhan.
To make sure that the electricity crisis is addressed, Chouhan said that power generation will be increased by 2020. “The generation of electricity by 2020 will be increased to 20,000 megawatt. To achieve this, we have decided to come up with new power plants and the ones which are being constructed will be completed. The main idea is to make sure that Madhya Pradesh does not face any power crisis and the progress of the State continues. Concerning irrigation, we have plans and with the projects associated with Narmada River and other irrigation projects, we will make sure that in the next five years, we will increase the irrigation level to 40,0000 hectares,” he added.
While releasing the manifesto, Chouhan also highlighted the schemes for the farmers of the State. “We will bring agriculture to the forefront and link it to food-processing. Agriculture will turn beneficial only when the farmers also get engaged with some other occupation apart from agriculture and when the farmer earns the correct price for his produce. We have decided to give a bonus of Rs 150 (nearly $2.39) per quintal on wheat, maize and rice so that the farmers get the correct price and we have also decided to give them loans. These initiatives would be taken ahead,” said Chouhan.