Under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the issues related to the development of the State were discussed in detail with the team of NITI Aayog in a high-level meeting here on Wednesday. The CM said that being a federal structure, better coordination between the Central and State governments can accelerate the pace of development and give a new direction. At the same time, NITI Aayog has an important role in the formulation and determination of plans and policies related to it.
“Today, under the leadership of NITI Aayog member VK Paul, there was a positive discussion on the issues related to various departments with the 8 member team and senior officials of the Central Government connected through virtual medium. This is just the beginning and there will be many more such meetings in the future. Due to this, the impediments or obstacles that are being faced in the field of development will definitely be resolved,” he said.
The CM said Jharkhand is a State, which is very rich in terms of minerals. “Various types of minerals are in abundance here. From here these minerals are sent to other states and abroad, where it is processed. If the minerals are here, then the project based on it should also be established here. With this, all round development of the people will be possible along with the development of the State. Efforts have been started by the State Government in this regard,” he added.
Talking about the mining sector, the CM said that there are many problems in the mining areas of Jharkhand. People living here are suffering from various diseases. The level of pollution is increasing in the area. In such a situation, special focus should be given to these areas. He said that socio-economic educational survey of mining areas should be done from time to time. This survey will be able to know what is changing in the lives of the people living here. They are getting the benefits of the government schemes properly or are facing any kind of problems so that they can be resolved.
The CM said Jharkhand is a State dominated by Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. But, they are very backward. They should also be given full support from the Center so that Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes get a chance to progress. He said that a separate policy should be made for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, so that the action plan related to their development can be implemented in a better way. He also said that farmers are being affected the most by the acquisition of land for minerals and industries in Jharkhand. They have become agricultural laborers instead of farmers. Concrete initiatives should be taken in the direction of supporting such farmers also.
On this occasion, NITI Aayog member Dr VK Pal said that NITI Aayog is working as a link in the direction of creating better relations and coordination between the Center and the states. “Today’s meeting with the Jharkhand government was very important. There was an exchange of views on development related issues. This will facilitate in resolving any deadlock between the Center and the State. Whatever policy the NITI Aayog makes, it is discussed in detail with the ministry. At the same time, there are many institutes for monitoring and evaluation of the policies and plans of the government. The main objective of NITI Aayog is to strengthen the states and build a new India,” he said praising the CM for the work done by the State Government during the Corona period.
The member of NITI Aayog said that 22 departments of the State government had conveyed their proposals and issues. The response of the Central Government has also been received on all these. In today’s meeting, mainly the topics related to Coal, Energy, Railway Revenue, Water Resources, Minerals, Rural Development, Health, Civil Aviation Home, Tribal Affairs, Road Transport and National Highways were specially discussed and related issues of the Central Government. Senior officials of the ministries were also present online during this period.
State Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, NITI Aayog member Dr. VK Pal, Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh, Development Commissioner Arun Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Rajiv Arun Ekka, Secretary to Chief Minister Vinay Kumar Choubey, NITI Aayog Senior Advisor Neeraj Sinha, Mission Director Rakesh Ranjan, Joint Secretary Development and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Shailendra Kumar Dwivedi, Deputy Advisor Dr. Thyagaraju BM, Professional Siddhe G Shinde, Senior Associate Naman Agarwal and Additional Chief Secretaries / Principal Secretaries / Secretaries of various departments were present.
