Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was conferred the title of ‘Ideal Chief Minister’ by Indian Students Parliament Foundation at the grand concluding function of a three-day programme marking the birth anniversaries of Swami Vivekananda and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s mother Jija Bai at Pune in Maharashtra on Monday.
Chouhan was conferred the Fifth Indian Students Parliament Foundation Award in the presence of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Phadnavis, Padmabhushan Raghunath A Mashelkar, eminent scientist Dr Vijay Bhattkar, MP and eminent industrialist Abhya Firodiya and a number of other distinguished citizens. Prime Minister of Tibetan Government-in-Exile lobsang Sangey was especially present on the occasion.
Responding to the award, Chouhan said that no post in public life including that of Chief Minister was for showing clout or ego, but for serving country and State. Amidst cheers, the Chief Minister referred to transformation of Madhya Pradesh from a sick to developed State. He said that Swami Vivekananda was a source of inspiration for him. Everyone should resolve to do his best in life. He said India was a country with diversity. But it cared about everyone’s happiness, health and welfare.
It also believed that whatever religious path a person treads, he would ultimately attain God. He said that peace would prevail in the world if all followed these ideals.
The Chief Minister said that he had served Madhya Pradesh by considering people worthy of obeisance. He considered himself a devotee of people and Madhya Pradesh as a temple. Chouhan informed that after his becoming Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh took rapid strides to become a developed State from a sick one. Today, it was number one State in growth rate in the country and ahead of all in the world in agriculture growth rate.
He informed that power generation in the State had been increased from 2900 MW during previous Government to 12,000 MW now.
Round-the-clock power was being supplied in the State. Irrigation facility had been increased from 7.5 lakh hectares to 30 lakh hectares. Miracle of Narmada-Kshipra link Project was also done in Madhya Pradesh to save Malwa region from desertification. Agriculture has been made profitable. Farmers were being provided loans at zero percent interest rate. This had resulted in Madhya Pradesh getting Krishi Karman Award for third time in a row.
Chouhan said that side by side agriculture, special attention was being paid to industries and trade in the State. Small industries would also be set up along with big ones. For this, Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Yojana has been launched under which Rs10 lakh to Rs1 crore loan will be provided to youth entrepreneurs on State Government’s guarantee. A Rs100 crore venture capital fund has been instituted for young entrepreneurs.
Chouhan also referred to women’s empowerment, supply of wheat and rice at Rs1 per kg to the poor and education loan. Specially referring to good governance, the Chief Minister said that its objective was to eradicate corruption. For this, e-tendering, e-measurement and e-payment arrangements had been made in the state.
On the appeal of Chouhan, the Students’ Parliament adopted a resolution amidst cheers that elections of all levels should be conducted simultaneously once in 5 years by amending the Constitution. Besides, he also got passed a resolution for arrangement of State funding should be made to avoid extravagant election expenses. He referred to Swami Vivekananda while concluding his address urging youths to rise, awaken and do not stop until goal is achieved.