Mah CM pledges balanced development of rural and urban areas

Mumbai, Aug 14 (UNI) Assuring the people of Maharashtra that his government was committed to usher in balanced growth in urban and rural areas, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today announced two new schemes related to security and health concerns of rural areas -- ''Mahatma Gandhi Tantamukt Gaon yogana' and 'Doctor tumchya gaavi'.

Greeting people on the eve of Independence, Mr Deshmukh said prosperity and development of cities and villages would be the state's identity in the years to come.

''While making giant strides in economic and industrial sectors, Maharashtra has laid important ideals in the social sector before the country, be it the Employment Gaurantee Scheme or important decisions related to upliftment of backward classes. Similarly, the state also pioneered the Human development Mission to bring socially backward districts into the mainstream development and the Rajmata Jijau Mata-Bal poshan mission for tribal areas. I feel proud that Maharashtra has laid the foundation stone for social revolution in the country,''he added.

Mr Deshmukh said the state's initiative of Sant Gadgebaba rural cleanliness drive had drawn international attention a few years ago.

The Mahatma Gandhi Tanta mukt gaon yogana is yet another step in the direction of rural development. ''All problems in the village should be resolved within the village itself and the people as well as the administration should focus all their energies towards development. In the last two years, 2367 gram panchayats in the state have bagged the Nirmal gram puraskar,''he informed.

Mr Deshmukh said the state's growth rate is more than the national average. In the last two and half years, the state's industrial development has gained momentum. The Centre has sanctioned 109 Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the state and about 55 mega projects have been signed worth Rs 46,000 crore.

The Chief Minister said the 'Doctor tumchya gaavi' (doctor at your village) scheme is aimed at ensuring effective medical facilities to rural patients including pregnant women, testing of drinking water samples, and so on.

He said in the last two years his government had succeeded in taking steps to eradicate child labour, preparing action plans to bridge the demand-supply of electricity and containing incidences of farmer suicides. The government has also chalked out a plan to complete pending irrigation projects in the next three years which, he said, would benefit farmers in Marathwada, Vidarbha, Konkan and Western Maharashtra.

UNI