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MADHYA PRADESH has been battling acute water shortage for sometime. In fact, the issue was successfully exploited by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the last Assembly elections to wrest power from the Congress. In order to fulfil its election promise of solving the water problem, the BJP-led State government has launched a unique water project called jalabhishek. This initiative aims at involving the community in conserving and augmenting water resources.
Traditional methods of rain water harvesting, water budgeting, water planning, preventing wastage of water and augmenting ground water are some of the key features of this unique initiative. The government aims at making this initiative, launched on April 2, a people's movement spread over all the State's 52,000 villages. There will be committees at all levels to monitors its implementation and the State-level committee will be headed by the Chief Minister.
In view of the State's dependence on the monsoon, the government has given irrigation top priority. It has increased budgetary allocation to bring an additional 2.37 lakh hectares under irrigation. The State government hopes to increase the total irrigated area from the present 37 per cent to over 50 per cent, bringing an additional 13 lakh hectares under irrigation in the next three years. In the past two years, 725 new irrigation schemes were taken up. In the current year, 275 more schemes have been initiated. Another laudable initiative of the State government is its emphasis on producing bio-diesel. It has taken up jatropha cultivation in a major way. Over 11.85 lakh hectares, roughly 20 per cent of the wasteland in Madhya Pradesh, has been acquired for jatropha cultivation. So far 34,683 hectares has been brought under jatropha cultivation, which benefits the State in many ways. It is a good way of putting to use wasteland and provides employment to farmers. Besides, it will help the country meet its diesel requirement indigenously. Studies indicate that over 5 to 10 per cent of crude requirement in India can be met by bio-diesel. Hence the State's emphasis on jatropha cultivation. The project is being implemented by self-help groups, with the government as facilitator. These groups will be given over 80 per cent of the income from jatropha cultivation.
The country's first bio-diesel-based power plant has been set up at Vanshdhari village in the tribal people-dominated district of Mandala. The power project will not only supply power to each household, but will electrify roads in the village. For the first two years, this project will be monitored by the Madhya Pradesh Power Development Corporation and then handed over to the village community.
Health services have been accorded top priority by the State government. Reaching the best possible health services to even the remotest areas has been its aim. This has resulted in substantial reduction in the infant and maternal mortality rates. Public health infrastructure has been strengthened at the district, block, tehsil and village levels. The State government has launched a unique scheme of giving Rs.700 to women in villages and Rs.600 to women in cities as incentives to go to hospitals for child birth. Moreover, the person motivating women to go to a hospital is given Rs.600 in villages and Rs.200 in cities. So far, 7,000 women have benefited from this scheme. The government has approved 41 new community health centres and 10 new district hospitals as well, benefiting a large population.
The government has initiated a programme to provide monetary help for community marriage of girls\widows\divorcees from poor families. The only condition is that the girl should be from Madhya Pradesh and should have attained the marriageable age.
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