Raghubar Das is leading the first majority government in the state that had seen successive coalition governments since 2000. (File Photo)
Kick-starting the 1,000 days celebration of the Jharkhand government, Union Transport, shipping and Ganga Conservation Minister Nitin Gakdari here on Monday exhorted Chief Minister Raghubar Das to try and make Jharkhand a hub for alternative fuels like coal-based methanol, agri-products-based ethanol and electric-based transport vehicles. The BJP-led Jharkhand government completes 1,000 days on September 22.
Gadkari — who laid foundation stones for various projects related to power, water and road with a total cost of Rs 5,500 crores — also said that unless Jharkhand focussed on augmenting irrigation capabilities, the farm incomes would not be doubled, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Das, while highlighting a stable, honest and public-oriented government in the last 17 years, reiterated that he was the No. 1 labourer in the state and would continue to work tirelessly as many things remained to be done.
Das is leading the first majority government in the state that had seen successive coalition governments since its inception in 2000.
We had a major decision taken in a meeting with Niti Ayog recently on changing the focus from petrol/diesel driven vehicles to those based on ethanol, methanol and electricity. I want that importing petrol/diesel for transport should become a thing of the past. And don’t think it is a pipe-dream. Top companies have begun making engines that support this technology. In Nagpur, we have already got 20 charging stations installed across the cities; many buses are plying on electric-based technology. Come to that place within three months and I would take you on a ride. It’s better than the ones on the tradition fuel based transport system, said Gadkari.
Adding that now he was also overseeing the Prime Minister Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Gadkari said: I have been saying that Jharkhand needed to augment its irrigation capacity. At barely 20 per cent, which is at par with Maharashtra, the agricultural income of the farmer can’t be doubled. Therefore, it is my request that get the projects finalised and have it sent to us; we will help in quick implementation. If you take it to even 50 per cent, the agricultural incomes would increase much better.
The Minister also talked about river connectivity saying he wanted the water of Brahmaputra to reach states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and further down South and link it with Kaveri.
Recalling the condition of the state governments of the past, the Minister said: I was the national president of the BJP and I remember how leaders (from Jharkhand) would keep coming to me. They would keep fighting and the only competition was lakshmi ka jyaada darshan kaun karega (who’ll benefit in terms of making money). I could not do much at that point, as it used to be a coalition government. But now, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, we made a conscious decision not to allow the next generation of those in powerful seats to capture those automatically. It is highly satisfactory that, in the last three years, there has been no corruption taint on the government.
Das, while highlighting stable, clean, decisive and public-oriented government in the last 1,000 days, said: Still, there is corruption at the lower level bureaucracy. We have taken action against record number of people and set up Anti-Corruption Bureau offices in every division. But, we still need peoples support in eradicating corruption completely.
The Chief Minister said that the state government was trying to improvise the healthcare system. We had only three medical colleges in the state since 1947. We have now got three new medical colleges, which will begin functioning soon. Also, the state government is building 500-bed hospitals, attached to these three colleges, on its own budget. We are in the process of sending proposal to the Centre for three more medical colleges, said the Chief Minister, who reiterated that he was the Labourer No. 1 of the state.
The government also came out with a booklet on 1,000 days of the government. Das said: This booklet neither makes tall claims about the works that have been done so far; nor it makes huge promises of the future. We have been and remain committed to undertaking and implementing public welfare policies.
