Farmers Movement Archive

‘Turned pandemic into opportunity’: Shivraj Singh Chouhan on past year’s experiences as CM

On completing one year of his third term, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh spoke to Hindustan Times about the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic revival and the revenue shortfall the state is facing. He also expressed confidence in BJP winning the West Bengal and Assam polls. Here are the excerpts from the interview.Q. In a few days, you would complete a year in office in your third term. You took charge when Covid-19 was spreading fast. How do you rate your first year?A. When I took charge, there was no minister with me and Covid was starting to spread fast. There was no one with me for one month. I ran the government alone. We made arrangements for Covid management, creating testing facility in the states, getting masks, PPE kits and making arrangement in hospitals. Another big challenge was that in March, the wheat harvest starts in MP. We have to prepare for procuring wheat and we bought 1.39 crore metric tonnes of wheat, which is even more than Punjab. During Covid, we provided work to all workers and ensured those crossing MP from other states get food and buses. On PM’s call, we turned the Covid-19 pandemic into an opportunity. Started ‘Amtanirbhar MP’ and began working on infrastructure, education, health, good governance and employment. We have done well on all schemes from road construction to providing drinking water to giving loans to street vendors in the last year.Q. You have been the CM for almost 15 years. What do you say about other tenures?A. In my first term, we worked for better roads and brought laws to ensure Public Service Delivery law, the first state to do so in India. In the second term, we promised 24-hour power when people were getting five to six hours of power, expanded the irrigation network from 7.5 lakh hectare to 45 lakh hectare and started river linking projects. In my third term, MP crossed all landmarks. We got nine awards for being the best agriculture state both by Manmohan Singh ji and Modi ji’s governments. We now have surplus agriculture produce. Still, a lot more has to be done on bringing investment.Q. In this year’s budget, the state proposed to borrow ₹2,00,000 crore. Do you plan to overcome this huge borrowing of 80 per cent of the plan size?A. This budget is to make MP Atmabirbhar. We had proposed CM rise schools for quality education that will have top-quality teachers, labs and playgrounds. In the health sector, we have proposed 13 new medical colleges and plan to improve community health sectors. For infrastructure, Narmada Expressway and Atal Expressway in Chambal would be developed to give an industrial fillip to the state. It is true, we will have to spend ₹2 lakh crore but this is within the Central government parameters. This money will help give further stimulus to the state’s economy and there is nothing unusual in this.Q. Despite your claims, MP has a very low per capita income and it is among the lowest-ranked states on health parameters.A. When I took charge, MP was a ‘Bimaru’ state and had ₹13,000 per capita income. Now it is 99,000 and this year we will cross ₹1,00,000. Our GDP will cross ₹10,000 lakh crore. We were a landlocked state and no industry came. Now, we have changed that. On the human index, we are on the lower side, we are not near the national average. In Atmabirbhar MP, we will work to reduce maternal mortality and neonatal mortality rates and bring it at par with the national average. Q. One impact of three farms laws seen in MP has been a fall in revenue of agriculture markets. How do you see the three farm laws?A. We reduced mandi tax by one-fourth, a reason for the fall in revenue. In MP, farmers have the freedom to sell outside or inside the mandis. The three farm laws benefit farmers in MP as they provide the freedom to sell. Contract farming has been there for many years and the government has just brought a law to regulate it. There is nothing wrong with this.Q. Protesting farmers are demanding a law to protect minimum support price (MSP). What is your view on MSP?A. There should be provisions to give farmers the right price for their produce. I think we need to think about alternate ways to ensure the right price. We can provide the right price through schemes such as Bhavanter, in which the government pays the difference between the MSP and the market price to farmers. If the market is buying at less than MSP, the government can pay. Bhavanter was a popular scheme but was discredited by vested interests and was scrapped by the last Congress government.Q. There have been accusations that minority groups are being targeted through the MP Religion of Freedom Law?A. There is no question of targeting. It is the same for all. If someone tries to lure someone through coercion, threat or any other wrong means, action would be taken. It is The law is not against any religion. People doing good work for communities can continue to work without any fear.Q. The Supreme Court has sought states’ views on removing the 50 per cent cap on reservation. What is your view?A. Many states have more than 50 per cent reservation, especially in the south. Some sections have been left behind and they are backward and poor and should get the benefit of reservation. The entire country should think about it and I think, there should be one policy across the country. We will study the SC order and will give you comments.Q. The second wave of Covid-19 has started and cases in MP are also rising at an alarming pace. What steps are being taken to control the spread?A. In mid-February, we had 141 new cases and we thought things were getting normal. Economy and social activities had increased and gatherings also resumed. But, in the past 15 days, cases have increased and the pace of spread has intensified. People are not so scared of Covid and are not wearing masks and are going to social programmes. We need to tell people about the seriousness of Covid again. That is why we have imposed a one-day lockdown in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur as it would break the chain of infection. With night curfew, it would be a 36-hour lockdown. Strict mask-wearing enforcement would be resumed and action would be taken for social gatherings in violation of government norms. We would also increase vaccination to 2 lakh persons per day.Q. How do you rate BJP’s chances in West Bengal and Assam polls?A. I went to both the states and I am confident that the BJP wave is there in the two states. In West Bengal, there is a wave of change. The TMC has become a symbol of terror, murder and corruption and people are fed up. People are mad for Modi ji. Congress has damaged itself by having an alliance with Badruddin Ajmal while the BJP has brought an all-round development.

Hindustan Times

21-03-2021

Bhopal