The Hindu : National : Jharkhand needs political stability: Manmohan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Jharkhand needs political stability: Manmohan

D. P. Sharan

Says Rs.700 crore granted for development remains unutilised as panchayat polls have not been held

— Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

new initiative: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh receives a memento from Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan at a foundation-laying ceremony at the Bokaro Steel Plant on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Steel Jitin Prasada (right), Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda (second right) and Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai are also seen.

RANCHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed anguish on Tuesday over non-utilisation of substantial Central aid for the development of Jharkhand. He conceded that the State needed political stability for proper development.

Addressing the gathering on the Library ground of Bokaro on the occasion of the foundation-laying ceremony of the modernisation and expansion project of the Bokaro Steels Limited, the Prime Minister said Rs.700 crore granted for development remained unutilised as panchayat elections had not been held.

He said that although the case pertaining to panchayat elections was pending in court, the government should ensure its disposal at the earliest in the larger interests of the State.

The Prime Minister expressed concern over the inordinate delay in the drawing up of a rehabilitation policy by the government.

He asked Chief Minister Madhu Koda, who was on the dais, to prepare a detailed rehabilitation package. The Centre had worked out a rehabilitation scheme for displacement in coal mine areas. It would be implemented properly, he said.

He expressed unhappiness too over the pace of development. Jharkhand was lagging behind and it had to work hard to compete with others.

Dr. Singh said that even as the steel sector was trying its level best to achieve the target, the growth of production and consumption of steel were not impressive compared with other countries.

However, he claimed that the Centre had sanctioned a Rs.1,500-crore scheme for Jharkhand under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna to ensure power supply in 22 districts.

The State had been given Rs.1,000 crore too under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme to deal with unemployment. However, he held political instability in the State responsible for the slow pace of development.

Earlier, Mr. Koda sought Dr. Singh’s cooperation in endorsing the proposal lying with the Centre to set up steel plants of 110 million tonne capacity under an MoU signed with major industrial houses. These units would generate ample jobs.

Union Steel and Fertilizer Minister Ramvilas Paswan asked the Chief Minister to develop infrastructure first if he was concerned about setting up production units and generating employment. He claimed that SAIL had proposed to set up a plant of 12 million tonne. But the government was not cooperating by withholding decision to give it mining lease of iron ore at Chiria mines.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section