Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while addressing a function on Thursday observed that if there is one State in the country that has scripted the most brilliant growth story with perceptible change for the better, it is Madhya Pradesh. In Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
the State has got a leadership whose greatest and most
valuable virtue is credibility, he added.
Jaitley said that winning three elections in a row is a great achievement. This needs very hard work. When the present Government was voted to power in 2003, the victory was in most part attributable to the weakness and failure of the opponent. But the victories in Assembly elections of 2008 and 2015 and in lok Sabha elections were won on our own strength.
He said that there is a one thing in common in the States where three elections were won consecutively by a single party that agriculture growth rate has been over 8 per cent in all of them. This strengthened their economy. Since 2003, Madhya Pradesh has witnessed unprecedented social and economic changes, he added.
Jaitley said that at the time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, the economists all over the world would say that in India there was Hindu rate of growth that meant poverty, scarcity, droughts and employment was bound to be there. But now it is no longer the case.
Similarly, the economists of India used to say that the country could grow, but the BIMARU States including Madhya Pradesh held it back. Under the leadership of the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh has removed 'MA', i.e. Madhya Pradesh from BIMARU tag. Now, the State is revenue surplus.
The Union Finance Minister said that 12-13 years back, power supply was quite erratic with hardly a couple of hours a day. The roads were notorious and there was crisis of water.
When the present Government took over, there was a fear that how would it overcome the formidable challenge of improving things in these sectorsIJ But the State Government has done it. Now, it has 24x7 power supply, a good road network and the situation of water supply has also improved a lot. Now, Madhya Pradesh is a principal grain bowl of the country. The 20 per cent agriculture growth rate of the State is miraculous, he added.
Jaitley said that the Chief Minister Chouhan has strengthened the economy from grassroots. Rural infrastructure, power and water supply have been improved in rural areas. Cash flow has also increased there. This has, in turn, led to increased purchasing power of people and boosted trade in the State.
In future, better educational and health institutions would come up here that would further improve the living standards of the people. Madhya Pradesh has developed a decentralised development model, he said.