The target set after taking power in Chhattisgarh was how its 2.80 lakh residents can be ensured benefits of government schemes by reaching out to them and putting money in their pockets, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said on Sunday.
He was addressing an event after laying the foundation stone and public dedication of 95 development works to the tune of Rs 247.61 crores in a function held at Balrampur, the district headquarters of Balrampur-Ramanujganj.
He laid foundation stone for the works with an estimated cost of Rs 160.29 crore. These include road and bridge-culvert construction as well as irrigation, building of government buildings, drinking water and power supply expansion.
He said when the Congress inherited the government, the state had 40 percent poverty, 41 percent women had anaemia, malnutrition among children was 37.5 percent and education and health levels were very low. The farmers’ condition was pitiful.
The Chief Minister said for the government each individual is a unit of development not based on commission as per the previous BJP government. He then listed various successes.
On demand of the local MLAs, he announced formation of two tehsils, a sub-tehsil, opening of a horticulture college at Balrampur, providing a 10-bed ICU and dialysis facility at the District Hospital, a 100-bed hospital at Ramnujganj, opening of new branches of cooperative bank, a procurement centre for forest produce for 51 tribal villages in national sanctuary and new police outposts.