IPS OFFICER WHO ASSAULTED WIFE RELIEVED OF DUTIES: MP CM
Six months ago, you assumed office at a time Covid-19 had started spreading in the state. How tough has this challenge been?
It was the biggest challenge and it remains one. When I came, Covid-19 had spread its tentacles. There was no arrangement to tackle the disease. I was busy for three months in putting in place all arrangements for testing and treating Covid-19 patients like laboratories, hospitals, beds and beds with oxygen, PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] kits, hand gloves, masks, sanitiser, medicines etc. However, lockdown imposed by the Prime Minister with a great vision gave us time to raise the infrastructure and make required arrangements.
But don’t you think Covid-19 is still spreading at an alarming pace across the state?
Till there was lockdown, the situation was under control but the lockdown couldn’t go on forever. The economy has to be brought back on the right track. Hence, the decision to unlock. But it’s also true that when people started moving out and mingling, the number of Covid-19 cases grew and it’s a big challenge for us.
How do you plan to control the situation?
We strengthened our health infrastructure. We are further strengthening it while increasing the number of beds and beds with oxygen in all government hospitals and hospitals associated with medical colleges. We added two super-speciality hospitals in Rewa and Indore recently. We are having a tie-up with several private hospitals and permitted other private hospitals to treat Covid-19
Which areas suffered due to Covid-19’s impact on the economy?
Covid-19 affected us in two ways. First, it ruined our economy and second, there was and is more expenditure required on the infrastructure for identifying and treating patients. Given the impact, our non-essential projects have slowed down. For instance, we have decided not to construct buildings. All non-essential expenditure will be cut as much as possible. But development projects that are necessary will go on. At the same time, we have not compromised with any welfare scheme whether it’s for farmers, students, labourers, street vendors, poor and others from the weaker section of society.
What is your plan to increase the revenue in the state and bring back the economy back on track?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave us the mantra of Atmanirbhar Bharat [Self Reliant India]. We have chalked out an Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh road map for the next three
Is this the toughest challenge of your political career?
Challenges do come but a leader is who accepts the same and finds the way out of it. I will take Madhya Pradesh ahead despite this challenging situation.
Recently, the government admitted in the state assembly that then Congress government waived the loans of 2.7 million farmers. Don’t you think this goes against the stand of the BJP so far and won’t it be a big poll issue for the Congress?
They (Congress) only believed in telling a lie. Having made the promise to waive the loans of all farmers up to ₹2 lakh per head, then Congress government’s focus was on how to exclude a large number of farmers from the list of beneficiaries.
As far as bypolls are concerned, we are going to win the same comfortably on the issues of development and welfare.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said a senior state IPS officer has been relieved of duties, after a video showing him assaulting his wife went viral on social media.
In the video, Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (Prosecution) Purushottam Sharma is seen thrashing his wife, while the latter is seen resisting the assault.
“The officer has been relieved of his duties. Action will be taken against anyone who holds a responsible position, but indulges in illegal activities and taking law into his hands,” the chief minister said.
There is no official confirmation to reports that the IPS officer was caught red-handed by his wife of 32 years at a woman’s house, after which he assaulted her. Sharma’s son Parth, a deputy commissioner in the Income Tax Department, sent the video to state home minister Narottam Mishra and some senior bureaucrats, and requested that a complaint be registered against his father.
Sharma, who has been married for 32 years, told PTI that if he has done anything wrong, then his son should say why was his mother living with him for so long. “My son should say why was she taking money (from me) and going on foreign trips. After enjoying so much comfort in life, she has an obligation towards her family, to save its reputation,” Sharma said.
IPS OFFICER’S SON PARTH, A DEPUTY COMMISSIONER IN THE I-T DEPT, SENT THE VIDEO TO STATE MINISTER AND SOUGHT ACTION AGAINST HIS FATHER