Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh said conflicts could easily be resolved if a Government decides to work for the welfare of every section of the society. Harmony can be achieved only if there is a responsive and sensitive administration to ensure that there is equal opportunity for all with no discrimination,’ His views were expressed in the meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Monday by Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nankiram Kawar who read the speech on behalf of the Chief Minister.
In his speech, the Chief Minister said that social and economic backwardness were the major reasons for ethnic conflicts, therefore, it is necessary to eradicate economic and social differences between all sections of the society and the regional imbalance in areas.
He said the Chhattisgarh Government has tried to bridge the regional gap through various public welfare schemes. Chhattisgarh is free from hunger and is now heading towards being a malnutrition-free state.
Stressing on the need of organising such meeting, he said the NIC meeting has been called after a gap of two years and suggested that such meetings should be called annually.
He said that there is no fear of communal violence in Chhattisgarh as the Government has implemented various schemes for all religion such as Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojna, developed the religious places of all the religion, adopted policies to provide equal facilities to all constitutional institutions, State Minority Commission was established to bring minorities to mainstream, state waqf board, State Haj committee etc.
In Chhattisgarh, even the women enjoy equal rights. They are economically independent and have been given 50 per cent reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions. Chhattigarh is the first state where a pregnant women working under MNREGA have been given one month salary as maternity allowance and free double-fortified salt. Many national institutes have also appreciated Chhattisgarh’s provision of issuing ration cards in the name of senior most women of the family and deploying women homeguards in the State.
Chhattisgarh Principal Secretary (Home) N K Aswal and Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Ram Niwas were also present at the meeting.