I express my gratitude on the Birth Anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Today is Jharkhand’s Foundation Day. I congratulate the 3.25 crore people of Jharkhand. Our State is completing 18 years today. The completion of 18 years means that Jharkhand has become a youth today. Our State stands on a threshold where we are getting a glimpse of a strong, strong and prosperous Jharkhand. Time has come to fulfill all the dreams that were seen at the time of its establishment.
In 2014, the 3.25 crore people of Jharkhand had chosen the government of Bharatiya Janata Party and from the last four years, we have been trying to prove their belief on us. We are working hard day and night. Our government first pioneered the basic infrastructure.Work has been started in almost every sector, including road, electricity, drinking water, health, education, irrigation, and the effect of this is also seen. Due to political instability, Jharkhand had stayed away from the path of development in last 14 years. However, under the able leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, my Government has been working day and night to accelerate the pace of development with teamwork.
Unemployment is a major concern of the State. In about 4 years, our government provided more than 32 lakh jobs and self-employment opportunities, which is a record in itself. By 12 January 2019, employment will be provided to 1 lakh people. Our Jharkhand is rich but there is poverty. We have kept in mind poverty and made plans for every class so that no class could feel neglected.
The government took several steps to improve the health sector. Today, any poor in the State is not deprived for treatment anywhere in the country. The Centre and the State government have jointly provided health insurance of Rs 5 lakh for each poor. AIIMS is being developed in Deoghar, it will prove to be 'Sanjivani' for the Santhal region. Moreover, the foundation stone of Cancer Hospital in Ranchi has been laid. There has always been lack of doctors in Jharkhand. After independence there were only three medical colleges in 67 years. Our government is opening six more medical colleges.
Today, on the occasion Foundation Day, I would like to mention specifically Rani Mistri sisters who have made Jharkhand free from open defecation, ie ODF.Our government is committed to the empowerment of women, for this house and land registry of upto Rs 50 lakhs are being done in the State at only one rupee in the name of women. So far, more than 1 lakh 10, 000 women have become the owners by taking advantage of this facility.Our farmers of Jharkhand used to farm agriculture with the help of rain, but in the last four years we provided water to the farmers of the State and today the irrigation of 3,18,613 hectares of land is being received from the canals in the State. We are also teaching the farmers Israel based techniques of drip irrigation, which can produce at least the water. Farmers of Jharkhand have made history by learning new techniques. Today, the total agricultural production of Jharkhand is 67.61 lakh tonnes.
Our Jharkhand was also backward in the field of education. Today there is no such school in the state where there is no bench desk for children. Whether it is a technical education or higher education, the government has tried to strengthen every area. Our young people are very diligent, they only need to be provided with training. To fulfill this, the government opened 32 new ITIs and 14 polytechnics colleges, so that they could become intelligent, today they are getting good jobs abroad by taking training.
Whether it is electricity, road or cleaning, our government has been working in every area, electricity has reached every household in 8 districts of Jharkhand and by the end of this year, electricity will be provided to every household in the entire state. Whether it is Power Plant of Patratu or Sindri Fertilizer Factory, our government did all this work which would help to provide identify to Jharkhand.
I do not claim that in the last four years we have achieved everything that needed Jharkhand but I can say with the claim that our government has laid the foundations of development, on which we will add new chapter of progress in Jharkhand and I have full faith that we will do this work together with your support and will make Jharkhand state the number one state.
(The writer is a Chief Minister of Jharkhand)
