‘Proud to be a start-up state in cashless transactions’
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister RAMAN SINGH completes 13 years in office on Monday. What makes him elated, he says, is that he introduced a cashless and digital system in the state when the entire country was still working on a model to implement. He talks to R Krishna Das on this and other subjects. Edited excerpts:
While the entire country was working on introducing a cashless model, Chhattisgarh implemented the concept four years ago.
Chhattisgarh’s transport department was the first in the country to introduce cashless working four years ago, in tax and fee payments. Besides, the state had pioneered a digital model that was introduced in health and public distribution systems through smart cards. We feel proud to be a start-up state in cashless and digital transactions.
What new plans do you have?
We will make 10,800 panchayats across the state work as mini-banks. It will help villages do online transactions for all payments.
Chhattisgarh has been ranked among the top states in ease-of-doing business. How will you retain the position?
We have been introducing concepts with a focus on ensuring an applicant does not need to visit an office. The entire functioning is being made online. Industrialists should not face any problem. Mining leases on minor minerals have been granted for 30 years, instead of 10 years, and that is a big leap in giving respite to industrialists.
Tata Steel quit plans to make a steel plant in Bastar. Will it have an impact on the state?
Tata Steel quitting Chhattisgarh will not have much impact. NMDC is coming up with a 3.2-milliontonnes-per-annum plant in the same region. Moreover, two or three big steel projects in Bastar are also in the pipeline. The state government is now focusing on downstream sectors, as these will generate the largest employment.
Unlike your second and third terms, anti-incumbency will be high during the fourth term as you prepare to go to polls in 2018. How do you view this?
Every election is contested on a new issue. The people of Chhattisgarh have a positive attitude towards the Bharatiya Janata Party government, after seeing the development works that have been rolled out. Hence, there will be no impact of anti-incumbency. Moreover, the Congress has been split (following Ajit Jogi quitting the party and forming a political outfit). That will help the BJP. The state might see a triangular contest.