Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh needs to concentrate on sectors other than agriculture because the state is lagging behind in them. Niti Ayog member Dr Ramesh Chandra told newspersons on Monday that state’s agriculture growth rate of 14 percent is appreciable but Madhya Pradesh needs to improve its performance in other sectors also.
“The cultivation of high value crop in the state is just 2 percent,” he remarked and added that sectors like livestock, irrigation and other activities related to agriculture need to be boosted. Official records show that 68 percent of state’s population relies on agriculture.
At a meeting held earlier in which Dr Chandra was present, it was revealed that only 39 percent houses in MP have tap water facilities. About 61 percent of the houses have no access to it.
While 95 percent houses in Gujarat get tap water, Chhattisgarh is supplying tap water to 53 percent of the houses. The matters related to health, education, malnutrition also are a matter of concern in MP, according to Dr Chandra. Niti Ayog members have suggested to control dropout rate of the students and improve the quality of education. However, Dr Chandra appreciated chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s decision to implement the price deficit scheme and granting bonus on wheat.
“The CM went against the advice of the agriculture planning commission chairman and provided bonus on wheat procurement and MP is first state in nation to enforce the price deficit scheme,” Dr Chandra said. The per capita income in the state has increased from 61 percent to 65 percent in MP, which is highest in the nation.
Dr Chandra said union budget will be presented in January 2018 and not in December 2017. Onion crisis occurred in the state due to mismanagement. The state has procured the onion at Rs 2 per kg. In Uttar Pradesh, it was selling at Rs 8 per kg. According to Dr Chandra, the state government should coordinate and manage the production, storage and its sale in timely manner.
