People's views to be given weightage, says Governor

Bhopal, Feb 19 (UNI) The people's views would be given weightage in formulating and implementing development policies and programmes in Madhya Pradesh, Governor Balram Jakhar said today.

''The government's objective was to establish rule of law and create a fearless society. The goals of development could not be achieved without ensuring total security'', Mr Jakhar said in his address on the opening day of the Assembly's budget session.

''The views and expertise of the people will be given due weightage while formulating, implementing and monitoring the policies and programmes aimed at development'', the Governor said, adding concerted efforts were needed to take Madhya Pradesh into the rank of developed states.

While listing out the achievements of the BJP government in the last three years, Mr Jakhar read out data on road construction, electricity supply, creation of irrigation facility, reducing interest rate on farm loans, promoting cottage industries, mid-day meal scheme, ending roof-less schools, holding consultation with employees, skill development programmes, promoting information technology and expansion of health care facilities.

Mr Jakhar said the state government had initiated a programme to attract investment in industrial sector. ''Global investment summit'' will be held in October this year, he said.

To ensure speedy justice, video conferencing facility had been provided at Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa and Gwalior central jails and efforts in this regard had been started at Ujjain, Satna, Sagar and Indore jails also, Mr Jakhar said.

Mobile clinics would be introduced in all tribal development blocks and efforts had been initiated to provide quality medicines at cheaper rates under the new drug policy, he said.

In the last three years, 22,000 km road had been constructed and 5,000 villages were provided with road connectivity. Effective measures had been taken to increase the irrigation facility to 50 percent from 39 percent.

On the electricity sector, the Governor said, the state raised transmission capacity by 43 percent. The generation capacity from Narmada projects will go upto 1939 megawatt next month. The Omkareshwar hydel project will be completed about one year ahead of schedule by September this year.

About 88.92 lakh students enrolled in 94,905 schools were covered under the mid-day meal scheme and 10 to 15 percent increase in attendance was also recorded, while buildings would be constructed in 2007-08 for 3,518 roofless middle schools, Mr Jakhar said.

Village-level archaeological survey had been conducted in 23 tahsils spread over 13 districts. The government has fixed tendu leaves collection rate at Rs 450 per standard bag instead of Rs 400 earlier. About Rs 125 crores will be spent in three phases for the development of 827 inhabited villages out of the total 927 forest villages in the state, the Governor added.

UNI