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P.M. expresses concern at migration of tribals

PHOTO: PTI

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Dahod-Indore and Udaipur-Dhar railway lines in Jhabua on Friday. He is flanked by Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad (right) and Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar (left).

BHOPAL: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday laid the foundation stone for two new railway line projects in Jhabua and expressed the hope that the Rs.1286-crore project would benefit the tribals and bring prosperity to the tribal-dominated western region of Madhya Pradesh.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the 200-km-long Dahod-Indore rail line via Jhabua and the 152-km-long Chhote Udaipur-Dhar line. The two railway lines would be linking the Madhya Pradesh districts of Dhar and Jhabua with Gujarat.

The Dahod-Indore railway line would be laid at a cost of Rs.678 crore while the estimated cost of the Chhote Udepur-Dhar line is Rs.608 crore.

Prominent among those present on the occasion were the State Governor, Balram Jakhar, Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Union Minister of State for Railways Narayanbhai Rathwa, Union Minister of State for Personnel Suresh Pachouri, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kantilal Bhuria and the Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Prithviraj Chauhan.

The Prime Minister asked the Railway Minister to ensure that both the railway lines are completed within three years. He said the local work force should be engaged in construction work in order to check migration of unskilled workers to other areas.

The two lines would change the face of the tribal-dominated districts of Dhar and Jhabua, he said, emphasising that access to better transport facilities would help in improving the standard of living of the local people.

Dr. Singh expressed concern over migration of tribals in search of work and said that the forest dwellers no longer have to face the threat of eviction as the Centre had taken the initiative and the law had also been enacted to guarantee ownership rights. He urged Chief Minister to ensure strict implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

The Prime Minister drew attention to various programmes and schemes launched by the Centre for the progress and development of the weaker sections , labourers and farmers and announced that the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which is being implemented in 31 Madhya Pradesh districts at present, would be introduced in all districts from this coming April 2008.

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P.M. expresses concern at migration of tribals

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