By Sujeet Kumar, IANS
Raipur : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Chhattisgarh completed four years Friday, but it is still battling accusations that many of its welfare schemes have not taken off because of red tape.
It was on Dec 7, 2003, that the first BJP government was formed in the state, and Raman Singh – an ayurvedic doctor with a clean image – was asked to head it.
Since then Chief Minister Raman Singh as an individual has impressed many. But the opposition Congress and even most BJP MLAs claim he has no control over bureaucrats who they allege delay welfare and infrastructure schemes.
For this, the government may pay a price in the 2008 assembly polls, many believe.
“The government has done well in the road development, irrigation and industrial sectors but it will suffer because people in the impoverished regions of Bastar and Surguja are struggling to get foodgrains and kerosene from the public distribution system (PDS),” a senior tribal BJP leader told IANS on condition of anonymity.
“Around 42 percent of the state’s 20.8 million population lives below the poverty line (BPL) and hardly gets foodgrains and kerosene oil through the PDS due to a nexus between officials and local businessmen,” he said.
“The rural people are upset with the government and if things don’t improve by April 2008, the BJP may be reduced from the present 52 MLAs strength to less than 22 in the 90-member assembly polls,” he added.
In the backdrop of the PDS failure in vast poverty-hit areas, Raman Singh has announced another ambitious scheme targeted at rural voters.
Singh announced Tuesday that from January 2008, the government will launch a Rs.8 billion food scheme to provide 3.4 million families rice at the cost of Rs.3 per kg.
This is targeted at poverty-hit hamlets where 80 percent of the state’s population resides.
“It’s one of the best schemes ever launched by any state. The BJP is committed to poor and downtrodden people. The food scheme will cover about 17.5 million people,” Brijmohan Agrawal, who holds the revenue, forest and other portfolios, told IANS.
He said that since Jan 1, 2004, the government had signed 66 memorandums of understanding for setting up industries with a proposed investment of Rs.820 billion.
“During the last three-and-a-half years, real investments of over Rs.150 billion have taken place,” the minister said.
“With integrated steel units of Tata Steel and Essar Steel coming up in the most backward and Maoist-insurgency hit Bastar region, the life quality of a vast number of backward population will be revolutionised and credit for it will go to the BJP.”
But many are saying the schemes are only on paper.
“Bureaucrats hardly care what ministers and chief ministers are announcing. They regularly stay away from key meetings of ministers,” Congress spokesman Ramesh Warlyani told IANS.
He was referring in particular to a review meeting called by Health Minister Amar Agrawal, who walked out of it because none of the officials of his department turned up.
“It was for the first time since the state came into existence in 2000 that officials of the rank of health secretary as well as director, medical services, stayed away from a meeting to be presided over by the minister,” he said.
Even the chief minister had to defer a cabinet meet last month due to lack of quorum as the majority of his 13-member ministerial colleagues kept away.