Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Thursday said that the state was buzzing with development activities and recalled that MP kept its economy robust during the COVID-19 pandemic when the global economy was hit.
Speaking at a function held here on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day, the governor listed out various programmes undertaken by the Madhya Pradesh government for its development.
FP Photo
"This is a matter of joy that against all odds during COVID-19, when the world's economy was affected, Madhya Pradesh was successful in keeping its economy strong," Patel said.
"Once our state's economic growth rate was negative but in 2021-22 it rose to 19.74 per cent, the highest in the country at current prices," he said.
'MP first to have a statistical commission'
Hectic efforts are on to achieve the capital investment target of Rs 48,800 crore in the state this year, the governor said.
Stressing that "evaluation and statistics" help bring forth the desired results of development programmes and schemes, the governor said Madhya Pradesh has constituted a statistical commission, becoming the first state in the country to have such a body.
He said the state government not only eradicated the dacoit menace to ensure peace and harmony but has also cracked a whip on mafias, including land and chit fund.
"The state government has freed thousands of acres of land from the land mafias. It has decided to set up Suraj Colonies for the homeless people (on the freed land)," he added.
Says law and order improved in the state
Highlighting the other achievements of the government, he said, "The state government has effectively contained Naxalism. Provision of capital punishment has been made for the rapists of minor girls." For the first time, the governor said, a law has been made in the state to recover money from protesters and stone-pelters who damage government and private properties during agitations, sit-ins or communal violence.
"Lantern era (acute power crisis) prevailed in MP two decades ago. Now the state has surplus energy and farmers are getting power for 10 hours and other consumers for 24 hours," Patel said.
On the new and renewable energy front, he said, the state has a capacity of more than 28,000 megawatts.
The governor said that the state's irrigation capacity has risen significantly. "The irrigated land area has swelled to more than 45 lakh hectares. Efforts are on to take it to 65 lakh hectares," he added.
Lists out welfare schemes
Madhya Pradesh has taken the lead in the country in rolling out Ayushman Bharat cards and 23.61 lakh people have availed free treatment under the national health protection scheme, he said.
Listing out welfare schemes for the upliftment of indigenous people, Patel said that the state government has started the work to convert 827 forest villages into revenue villages (equipped with facilities).
On the programmes being run for women, girls and kids, he said MP has become the first state in the country to introduce a "child budget", referring to the provision of Rs 57,803 crore in the state budget aimed at improving the implementation of schemes for children up to the age of 18 years.
For the first time, the state has established a Nari Samman Kosh with a corpus of Rs 100 crore, he added.
