Governor Shekhar Dutt on Tuesday said that the Chhattisgarh would be achieving power generation capacity of 3,424 MW with the commencement of 1,000 MW power project coming up at Medwa-Tendubhata region in Janjgir-Champa district during the next one year.
“In 2003, Chhattisgarh had 1360-MW power generation capacity which has now gone up to 2,424 MW and the State will add another 1,000 MW in next one year,” he said in his address to the Atate Assembly amid repeated interruptions by the Opposition Congress members. The Government is now committed to providing free power connection to BPl families and go for extension of power lines under the ‘Chief Minister Urban Electrification Project’ in the densely populated areas, Dutt said.
The Governor said that the ‘Zero Power Cut’ efforts of the State Government provided a new identity and prestige to Chhattisgarh and the value addition in its efforts in this direction would continue. The State Government would also shortly establish 'International Information Technology Institute' in Naya Raipur, he announced.
Chhattisgarh which had irrigation capacity of around 15 lakh hectares in 2003 had gone up to 19 lakh hectares, the Governor informed the 90-member House. New airstrips had been approved for Balrampur, Dantewada and Bijapur districts while land had been offered to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for making the Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur meet the parameters of an International Airport. An MoU had been signed for the development of the Raigarh Airport while the Ambikapur airstrip is also being extended, the Governor stated.
He said that in the tourism sector, the Chhattisgarh Government was taking a ‘multi-dimensional’ approach to preparing a Master Plan for which a total of 121 tourist centres with historical, ancient, religious significance and natural beauty identified. The Governor said that the tourist places would have the facility for folk art performances and marketing of the products of local artisans besides other handicrafts.
Dutt said that the work is already underway to introduce the ‘High Security Registration Plate’ project for vehicles and commencement of City Bus services in 52 civic body jurisdictions. He stated the Chhattisgarh government procured 71.36 lakh metric tonnes of paddy last year while paying a cumulative amount of Rs 10,922 crore as support price and bonus to the farmers.
Dutt said the State Government for the first time in the country introduced the “Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security law-2012” to free the poor from the shackles of hunger and malnutrition. Chhattisgarh's power generation capacity to reach 3,424 MW Keeping in line with the spirit of the law, the Government has commenced offering rice and wheat for Rs 1 per kg from January 1, 2014 under the Public Distribution System (PDS) which would help an estimated 65 lakh people with a better health, quality of life and work capability, Dutt said.
The Governor said that it is also a matter of pride for the State government that the Gagauli Gram Panchayat in Surguja district was among 18 other Gram Panchayats which received the 'Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar' . The Governor stated that the State government by making the arrangement of direct deposit of money for the paddy procured in the bank account of the farmers has provided them a secure mode of payment besides benefitting them with the launch of the new facility.
He said that since the State government purchases paddy for the Central pool on behalf of the Union government on support price, a letter was written to the Prime Minister for urging him to offer Rs 2100 per quintal as support price for paddy . It is being hoped by the State government that the Centre while honouring the hard work of the farmers would offer a suitable price for paddy to them, the Governor stated.
Dutt stated that while not waiting for the Union government's decision, the Government as per the promise made has decided to offer Rs 300 per quintal as bonus in place of Rs 270 per quintal of paddy for the Kharif season to the farmers. Prior to this, on the recently concluded Assembly polls, the Governor in his address greeted the people of the State because of whom he said, 77 per cent polling took place in Chhattisgarh which was 7 per cent higher than what was recorded in the previous Assembly polls.
"This is a testimony to a stronger democracy. I would like to thank the Election Commission of India, the government employees and officials and security forces for conducting the fair and peaceful polls," he said. The Governor said that there is immense possibility of bringing happiness and prosperity to the people of the State and the eyes of the people of the State would be towards the Government on its efforts in this direction.