With the BJP’s National Council meet focusing on transparency and good governance, the Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States put forth their model of development to take on the UPA Government.
The three-time Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh highlighted the measures taken to curb corruption in their States while Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar stressed on his financial management that scripted the success story in the coastal State.
Chouhan narrated the various people-friendly initiatives taken by his government including interest-free agriculture loans to farmers and monetary assistance to girls. Besides, he made special mention of increase in power generation, irrigation facilities and interlinking of major rivers in his state. “Offering a huge relief to the farmers in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP government decided to provide interest-free loans to farmers. Further, we decided to do away with the metering of electricity consumed by the farmers for agricultural purposes. Instead, we fixed a flat rate of Rs 1200 per horse power of electricity to facilitate them,” Chouhan said.
He said the irrigation facility was augmented in Madhya Pradesh, as a result of which over 25 lakh hectares of land is being irrigated as compared to seven lakh hectares ten years ago. He also claimed to have put a check on corruption saying the lokayukta in the state was empowered to act against the corrupt and nearly Rs 200 crore was recovered from them.
Chouhan’s Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh said the transparency in the public distribution system in his state was a role model for rest of the Indian states. He said more than 50 lakh families were benefited by the Food Security program which was implemented in his state much before the Centre implemented it. “The BJP Government in Chhattisgarh has ensured ‘nutrition security’ to its people and not just food security. While the Centre has provided for only 25 kg of foodgrain under the food security program, the Chahttisgarh Government has been giving 35 kg of subsidised food in the state. In addition to this, we are also giving 2kg of iodised salt, gram and pulses to each of the beneficiaries,” Singh said.
Parrikar, on the other hand, highlighted the financial management and putting the mines in the State to maximum use that improved the financial health of the states. He said a healthy economy allowed his government to curb VAT on petrol and thus reducing its prices. He said his government has found support from all sections of the society.