Chief Minister Raman Singh claimed on Tuesday that the State was all set to take a giant leap in infrastructure sector in next 3-4 years with massive expansion of rail and road network in each region.
“Chhattisgarh is fast emerging in the country as a role model of development and infrastructure build up,” Singh told leading journalists in a formal but rare interaction at his official residence.
He candidly put out a report card of his Government and answered a volley of questions as to how he wants to proceed in next three years with an intention to lead the BJP to a record fourth straight victory in mineral-rich State which is also plagued by leftist violence.
Substantiating his claims, Singh who is ruling the State since December 2003, stated that 546-km long rail corridors would be developed over the next three years in State’s southern tip (Dalli Rajhara to Jagdalpur) as well in northern belt with Rs11,000 crore investments on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
In an obvious reference to claim that he has put the State on fast track of development, he revealed only 1187 km long rail tracks were laid in Chhattisgarh in past 160 years.
Singh added about Rs25,000 crore investment have been lined up in road sector in the State to develop a chain of road network in all the districts in coming up three years.
He informed his Government would be bringing in Rs5,000 crore investments in power sector to boost transmission and distribution system as power supply demand has now risen to 4400 MW from just 600 MW when State was carved out in November 2000 with a split of Madhya Pradesh.
The doctor-turned-politician, Singh who has roughly completed two years of his third tenure as Chief Minister, remarked that taking a giant leap in rail, road, power, health, education and other sectors, it would unlock all-round development in the State that has about 20 per cent of country’s iron ore and coal deposits.
Analysts say by holding the first-ever interaction in his third stint as CM, with Chhattisgarh-based leading journalists which he termed ‘chai-pe-charcha’, Singh was basically presenting his report card and was also sketching out issues on which he would seek the record fourth term when State goes to polls in late 2018.
Singh discussed all issues about governance with Editors and sought suggestions how to tame leftist insurgents whom he accused of violating basic human rights of millions of people of war zone by denying them of education, health, road, electricity and other basic civic facilities.
“Naxals have kept millions of people virtually hostage by depriving them of basic rights, people have been subjected to a gross human rights violations... they (Naxals) kill people brutally by holding jan adalat,” claimed Singh and added he was ready to hold parleys with Naxals for peace and development but any discussion should be ‘constructive and meaningful’.