CM Chairs Manthan Review Meet
Bhopal — Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Thursday chaired at the Mantralaya in the state capital to discuss the recommendations emerging from Manthan-2009 and their implement in four of the state government departments.
The departments included in the first session of the meeting were Panchayat & Rural Development, School Education, Energy and Mineral Resources.
Those present at the meeting included cabinet ministers – Gopal Bhargava, Ramkrishna Kusmaria, Sartaj Singh, Archana Chitnis, Jagannath Singh, Jagdish Deora, Nagendra Singh, Rajendra Shukla, Harishankar Khatik, Nanabhau Mohod and Jaisingh Marawi – state chief secretary Rakesh Sahni and top officials from the departments under review.
Reviewing the roadmap of the Mineral Resources Department, Chhouhan said every possible effort should be employed to augment the department revenue and curbing tax evasion as the additional revenue mobilized could be used for development initiatives.
The decisions made during the review included the conduct of a study to analyse provisions launchded by other states to fillip their revenues from mineral resources and to include department staff to the joint check-posts manned by various departments.
Revenue land in five districts – Panna, Morena, Shivpuri, Gwalior and Vidisha – will be transferred to Forest Department in lieu of 7000 hectare forest land where arrangements of mining will be made, the land-for-land barter would be made after receiving the consent of the Union government.
Evaluating the roadmap of the School Education Department, Chouhan instructed officials to endeavour to improve the quality of education. The strengthening of school education offices, appointment of an officer at the district level for regular inspection of schools, arrangements of laboratories in science schools, monitoring of teachers’ attendance and taking help of private sector in the construction of school buildings were some of the topics covered during the discussions, the department will present proposals on the plans.
Standard of text-books will be improved and text-books will be supplied in time by Text-book Corporation. Sports, cultural and scouting activities will be promoted in schools and sports grounds will be developed in the schools where land is available.
Rules will be amended to allow recruitment of engineering graduates as Contractual Teacher Grade I & II. Efforts will also be made to appoint graduate teachers in middle schools and post-graduate teachers in higher secondary schools. Appointment of Contractual Teacher Grade-I is also proposed in high schools.
Chouhan said that constant efforts will have to be made to improve standard of education and extension of facilities in school libraries and laboratories. He said that arrangements of professional education should also be made in schools.
During the discussion on Manthan recommendation of Energy Department, Chouhan said that the target for bifurcation of power feeders must be achieved.
The meeting was informed that agreements have been signed with 43 companies of the private sector to increase power generation in the state. Targets have been set for checking power transmission losses by appointing franchisees for the purpose.
Union Government’s Atomic Energy Department has sanctioned establishment of two units of 700 megawatt pressurised heavy water reactors at Churka in Mandla district.
Review of Panchayat & Rural Development Department included discussions on connecting villages with all-weather roads, empowerment of women’s self-help groups, constitution of a state level federation and removing encroachments from all the reservoirs and baodies.
