Buoyant with the recent growth indicators that project Jharkhand as a fast developing State, Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Thursday called upon people to contribute in transformation of a ‘Skilled Jharkhand’ from ‘Scam Jharkhand’. The CM, lambasting previous Governments for ignoring basic issues of the State said on the completion of three years of the Government that within five to seven years the State will become one of the most developed in the world.
“We have got several problems as legacy when we took over as none of the previous Governments thought of resolving them. I have no issues in accepting that we have shortcomings and also some complaints coming in from the lower levels. But, in three years of our tenure we have solved many of them and have put a strong foundation to make a solid structure of the State,” the CM said addressing media persons during a programme on completion of three years of Government at his residence on Thursday.
Das, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers and senior Government officials said that the Government is consistently working to enhance the economy of villages in the State as the State’s economy is hugely depended on making the villagers affluent. “Our Government is working with a vision and mission and taking along everyone on the development path. We are skilling villagers and youths, women and weaving a net of cottage industries across the State, the fruits of which will be visible in the coming years,” he said.
The CM said that the Government is also enabling people for local self Governance at rural and urban levels so that the problems of corruption and middlemen are solved at the grass root levels. He said that skilling of youth and providing employment opportunities to the villagers near their home will eventually end the problems of migration and displacement.
“We are underdeveloped so we have shortcomings and problems but we want to solve them. We are not competing with States like Maharashtra and Gujarat but some of the most developed States of the world. This is because there is hardly any State in the world that has 40 per cent of natural resources of the country. We have the resources and we are developing the manpower to become one of the most affluent States in the entir world soon,” said the CM.
Das said that the government is working on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call of ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’ to make a new Jharkhand that would help make a New India. He, on the occasion, also announced to provide 50,000 fresh Government jobs by June 2018.
The CM said that there has been remarkable achievement in improving infrastructure in the State. “When the Government was formed there were just 7,000 schools with bench and desks out of the total 38,000 in the State. We have arranged bench and desks in about 28,000 schools today and in one month all the government schools will have bench and desks. Similarly, only 10,000 schools had access to electricity.
We have recruited 20,000 teachers and recruitment for another 18,000 is under process,” said Das.
The CM said that by December 31, 2018 all the 68 lakh villages in Jharkhand will have electricity. “Three years ago 38 lakh villages had electricity. We have provided electricity to more than 25 lakh villages and by next year end all the villages will have access to power. Similarly, we are working hard to connect 32,000 villages to roads and highways,” he said.
Das also congratulated security forces and State police working to root out Maoists from the State and said that the forces have witnessed about 70-80 per cent success against their target. He said that without proper law and order in the State development cannot take off at any place.
On being asked about the biggest achievement of the government in last three years the CM said that the fact that people’s confidence in the government has increased manifolds. “We have a spotless Government and people have instilled faith on our works. This is the biggest accomplishment for team Jharkhand,” he signed off.