The Hindu : Vasundhara sets March 31 deadline to show results

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Thursday, Jan 15, 2004

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Vasundhara sets March 31 deadline to show results

By Our Staff Correspondent

JAIPUR, JAN. 14. Terming the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government's action plan for 100 days as a "short-term vision document'', the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, today claimed that no government in the State had adopted this approach of setting targets for different segments and committed itself to achieving them in a given time-frame.

The action plan released by Ms. Raje here this evening promised populist measures for farmers, villagers, women, traders and businessmen, youth, Government employees, disabled people, Dalits and Other Backward Classes and laid emphasis on better delivery in the education, medical and health, power, information technology and tourism sectors.

Ms. Raje set at rest all speculation about the counting of 100 days by specifying March 31 as the date when the action plan would complete its term. "You may count the period from whichever date you like -- either December 8 last when I was sworn in or January 15 when the first session of the Assembly will begin -- but for me, the time ends on March 31,'' she told reporters.

The action plan envisages power supply in the rural areas for 14 hours a day, including eight hours to the agricultural consumers and six hours to others, and releasing 20,000 new electricity connections. Also, 737 villages will be connected with roads during the 100-day period.

The irrigation facilities will be created in an additional area measuring 15,000 hectares and five small irrigation projects pending since long would be completed. Pipelines and handpumps will be installed to supply drinking water in 300 villages and 332 tubewells will be made functional by installation of power pumps.

The District Poverty Initiative Programme (DPIP) will be extended to benefit more people living below poverty line and a scheme would be formulated to construct as many as 50,000 houses in the rural areas. The action plan also promised implementation of the crop insurance scheme and issuance of one lakh Kisan Credit Cards. The sops for women include an increase in the remuneration paid to Sathins from Rs. 350 to Rs. 500 per month and appointment of 26,000 `Sahayoginis' (helpers) at the Integrated Child Development Scheme centres. The women's self-help groups will be provided Rs. 1,000 each as the revolving fund.

The credit flow to small industrial units will be facilitated by strengthening the Rajasthan Financial Corporation and several pending schemes for industrialists and entrepreneurs will be completed before March 31.

The action plan also announced reduction in the stamp duty from 0.5 to 0.2 per cent on the increased share capital of companies and traders.

About 15,000 unemployed youth will benefit from the partial lifting of ban on new appointments in the non-Plan sector, while 16,000 others will be appointed to various posts under the Plan sector and Centrally-sponsored projects. A high-power mission will also identify the important areas where more job opportunities can be created.

The action plan reiterated the State Government's recent decision to withdraw the criminal cases registered against the Government employees during their strike in the previous Congress regime and promised the payment of bonus on Diwali. Besides, the new transfer policy for teachers would ensure greater transparency in the procedure.

The text-books will be distributed free of cost to the children belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes studying in the ninth to twelfth standards in Government schools. The scholarships will be given to more SC, ST, OBC and poor children. The SC/ST Finance Corporation will also extend loan for self-employment to 50,000 people.

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