Governor stresses on good governance, industrial growth

BHOPAL: Asserting that good governance is his government's top agenda, Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav on Tuesday laid out the policy perspectives of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government for the current year, announcing to extend facilities to industries to be set up in all districts and emphasising on various development initiatives and welfare measures it proposed to take for state's overall progress.
In his customary address to the Legislative Assembly on the opening day of the 44-day budget session, he threw light on various initiatives, being taken by the government, to bring transparency in the system, beat corruption and to make its officers and employees more accountable to ensure timely delivery of public services. The governor read the first and last paragraphs of his 23-page address due to health reasons.
Pointing out that an "unprecedented atmosphere" of industrial investment has been created in Madhya Pradesh, he said for the first time Information Technology (IT) companies of international repute have pledged to start their operations in the state.
"A global investor's meet is proposed to be held at Indore later this year. Nearly Rs 250 crore is being spent on development of nine new industrial areas while a Rs 300 crore plan has been chalked out for the development of five existing industrial areas", he said adding that the state is in the process of setting up a separate new department for micro, small and medium industries. "Industries to be set up with a capital investment of Rs five crore in all the districts will now be entitled for "C grade" facilities", he added.
Yadav said his government was promoting mining industries in order to judiciously exploit the state's mineral wealth. He said efforts were being made to use modern technology for diamond mining in Panna and Chharatpur, Gold and Copper in Sidhi district. There are indications about gold deposits in Katni district and platinum-palladium reserves in tribal dominated Betul district.
Stating that the MP Public Services Guarantee Act-which aims at ensuring timely delivery of government services to the common masses-has been appreciated nation-wide, Yadav said many other states were now following it. "State's official portal "MP Online "is extending 130 services and now a state services delivery gateway is being established", he added.
The governor said the MP Special Courts Act has come into force from February 15 this year, after the relevant bill got Presidential assent. He said this legislation could go a long way in fighting corruption as it provides for hearing in corruption cases in a time-bound manner and also to confiscate property earned by illegal means and to use it for public good.
Other highlights
MP achieves 10 per cent growth rate
Construction and maintenance of roads top priority; work on 28,000 kilometers long roads in progress
Primary credit cooperative societies to get land on a lease of one rupee for establishing storage infrastructure.
Rs 12,000 crore being spent on power generation and strengthening of transmission and distribution network. Feeder separation work in progress. Private sector being encouraged for setting up power plants.