Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Sunday that the Chhattisgarh government's aim is to increase livelihood options and financially empower the rural populace and this has gained recognition as the ‘Chhattisgarh model’.
Baghel said that cities can become prosperous only when villages prosper. This is the path of development in Chhattisgarh.
The Chief Minister said this while addressing people on the "Chhattisgarh Model of Entrepreneurship and People Empowerment" in his radio programme 'Lokvaani'.
“We kept ourselves away from the rat race of material development and paid attention to the basic needs, which resulted in development of permanent means of livelihood and improvement of overall living standard of the population," he said.
Be it the initial period of recession or the Covid crisis and lockdown, "we managed to put nearly Rs 80,000 crores in the pockets of farmers, forest dwellers, labourers, women's groups and youth through various public welfare schemes", he said.
Addressing children on Children’s Day, he said: "I would like you to read, learn about the biography and works of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and to make sincere efforts to follow his footsteps."
Nehru, who laid the foundation of a new and modern India, established huge factories, dams and modern educational institutions for science and technology.
Today, these institutions are serving as a guiding lamp for a brighter future of youngsters, producing doctors, engineers and experts in various fields, he said.
Baghel said he was very happy that people have got a new means of livelihood through dairy business and Godhan Nyay Yojana.
Appreciating women working as mates in the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, he said their strong will power and hard work were bringing about a positive change in villages.