BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur, on Wednesday announced the State Government's plan of action for the golden jubilee year of the formation of Madhya Pradesh. Addressing a press conference at his official residence here, he said that a separate Horticulture and Food Processing department would be set up in the State in view of the vast potential in this area.

He said fisheries, agro-based industries and a food park, besides an agro-export zone and the State Agro-Industry Development Corporation would be covered under this department.

The Chief Minister announced that the important Sehore-Dewas section of the Bhopal-Indore highway would be converted into a four-lane road at a cost of Rs. 365 crore under the build operate and transfer scheme.

To ensure smooth and unhindered movement of vehicles on this road, special by-pass roads would be constructed at Dewas, Ashta, Mehatwada and Sonkatch, he added.

The Chief Minister said the Centre has already approved the plan to convert the Bhopal-Jabalpur and Indore-Mumbai highways into four-lane roads. Once this project is completed, Bhopal would have a direct four-lane connection with Jabalpur and Mumbai.

In the third phase of the ADB scheme, 2000 km of roads at a cost of Rs. 1535 crores are to be upgraded all over the State, he said adding that work on these roads would commence from March 2007 onwards after the loan gets sanctioned for this purpose.

Mr. Gaur also announced the State Government's ambitious scheme to commercially utilise nine acres of prime land in the Jawahar Chowk area of Bhopal, at present under the possession of the State Public Works Department, by allowing construction of shopping malls, multiplex complexes, clubs and hotels.

He said under the national Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, over Rs. 1500 crores of employment generating works would be done during the year 2006-2007.

The works to be taken up under this scheme include afforestation, construction of new ponds and water tanks, as well as roads to link remote villages.

Advocating the importance of Jatropha, one of the main crops currently being promoted for bio-diesel production in many countries, Mr. Gaur said this can be produced successfully in the State. So far 40,000 hectare of land has already been brought under Jatropha cultivation and the forest department had plans to bring another 50,000 hectares of land under jatropha cultivation under the National Mission being set up on the recommendation of the Planning Commission.

The Chief Minister said that 20 per cent fallow land in the State would be brought under Jatropha cultivation by the panchayats and forest committees. Mr. Gaur told journalists that the Central Government has already sanctioned the first instalment of Rs. 41.36 crores from the total Plan amount of Rs. 82.73 crores meant for the development of forest villages.

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