Other States - Madhya Pradesh   

Minister sees poverty, but blames Congress for it

Staff Correspondent

Madhya Pradesh continues to rank among the last three States after Orissa, Bihar

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Minister for Industries and Commerce, Babulal Gaur, on Friday said that there was extreme poverty in the State and sincere efforts were needed to address the issue of poverty and take the State on the fast track of industrial development. Mr. Gaur was speaking as chief guest at a conference on Small and Medium Enterprises organised jointly by the Madhya Pradesh State Council of FICCI and the State Government.

Mr, Gaur said that he has always opposed nationalisation of industry. Focussing on the importance of industry, he said the country should be industrialised to eliminate poverty. The industrial workers should be encouraged to inculcate the spirit of nationalism and motivated to perform their best for the larger national cause, he said, citing the example of Japan to drive home his point.

The Minister said it was a matter of great regret that Madhya Pradesh continues to rank among the last three states in the country after Orissa and Bihar when it comes to poverty and industrialisation. He said the State was extremely backward on the industrial front and it would take a long time to catch up with the other developed States.

He blamed the previous Congress-led Government for neglecting roads and failing to focus attention on the economic infrastructure. In the last two-and-half years since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the State, there has been rapid progress on the roads front and even captains of industry from other parts of the country have come forward and were willing to invest in the State, he added.

Mr. Gaur told the participants that the Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, has constituted a high powered committee, which is headed by him and includes the State Finance Minister, Raghavji and PWD Minister, Kailash Vijayvargiya as members, to review the situation and assess the need to rationalise the policy for rapid industrialisation and growth. He said that they have convened a meeting at Indore later in June to evaluate what special facilities could be offered by the State Government to encourage private enterprise and investment. Speaking on this occasion, the State Principal Secretary Industries, O.P. Rawat, said that competitive edge could be determined by focussed efforts in areas like Research and Development, human resources and technological advancement. He said that in this era of globalisation and economic reconstruction, the Government should not be a regulating agency but a facilitator and a motivator.

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Minister sees poverty, but blames Congress for it

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