Ganga bridge to spur economic development: Jharkhand CM
sahebgunj — Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das, on the occasion of foundation-laying of Sahebgunj-Manihari Ganga Bridge and a port on the Ganga river, said that actualisation of these projects will accelerate economic development of the region and people on both sides of the river.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the 3.25 billion people of Jharkhand, the chief minister said the Santhal Parganas could not prosper as they should have in the 70 years of country’s independence. These two projects, however, will bring prosperity to this region by connecting it with Bihar, Bengal and South-East Asian countries, he said.
Das said the government will try its best to develop the region in three years as envisaged by the prime minister. We are working with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, the CM said.
Das also reiterated his government’s resolve of holistic development of tribals by generating employment opportunities for them and their integration with the state’s mainstream. Constitution of two special battalions of youth — girls and boys — from very vulnerable tribal group (VVTG) was a step in that direction and handing over of certificates of appointment to 956 by the prime minister is testimony to that commitment and resolve. The CM also enumerated other measures taken to take care of these vulnerable tribal groups such as 600 rupees pension scheme to one eligible member of these families and the VVTG Dakia scheme under which packed foodstuffs will be delivered to the tribals at their doorstep.
The chief minister also touched upon the measures undertaken for socio-economic empowerment of toiling women of the state terming them a skilled workforce. “Sakhi Mandals” constituted of groups of 10-20 poor women and financed with a revolving fund are rewriting nuances of socio-economic development in rural areas. Offering one lakh smartphones to these mandals for distribution among their members is another measure for their empowerment which would also give a push to their digital inclusion and less cash transaction. He also said that the government will spend 700 crore rupees on training them. The Chief Minister Entrepreneurship Board has been set up to supervise gainful employment and self-employment of women.
“Quality roads are life lines of nation and the states,” the CM said adding that commissioning of the 311-km Govindpur-Sahebgunj road is a step in that direction reducing travel time from Dhanbad to Sahebgunj from 10-12 hours to 5 hours. The road will usher in economic development of the regions connected through it and the 4-lane bridge on the river Ganga, once completed, will further boost that, he said. The chief minister also chose the occasion to reiterate his government’s resolve to electrify state’s 32,000 hamlets by 2018 and generating 2650 MW solar power by 2019-20.
“The government believes in participative development and towards that goal has initiated Yojna Banao Abhiyan under which people through consensus frame developmental plans for their villages,” the CM said. Power has been devolved to panchayats and the government is on the way to complete construction of secretariat for each of the panchayats as well as their connectivity with internet.