BHOPAL: In a departure from tradition, new welfare projects and schemes of the Madhya Pradesh government will not be announced by ministers, but by government officials in the area, Chief Minister Kamal Nath said on Sunday.
Nath made the proclamation while speaking at a rally in his constituency of Chhindwara. He said that the official who conceptualised the scheme, would be the one to make the announcement and public events and rallies.
The idea behind the initiative was to fix responsibility for the execution of projects on those officials, he said. The first step in the initiative was taken at the very same rally.
“The public is tired of announcements by politicians so I’ll not make any. The information about all our upcoming initiatives will be rendered to the public by the concerned government officials, who will also tell the people about the timeline of the completion of the announced schemes and projects,” said Nath.
Immediately after Nath’s speech, district collector Sriniwas Sharma announced series of public welfare schemes and projects, including a plan to open an Agriculture College and a community drinking water scheme for 700-odd villages of Chhindwara, which is the biggest district in the state.
Nath’s statement assumes significance because during as during the campaign for the Assembly polls in the state, the Congress had targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for making promises and announcements which were never completed.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, while addressing several public rallies in the state ahead of the had mocked Chouhan over the issue, dubbing him as “Ghoshna-Machine (Announcement machine)”.
Nath was given a rousing welcome in Chhindwara. It was his first trip to the district after he became CM.
Overwhelmed, Nath said “Chhindwara is my soul, decades back I came here as a Lok Sabha candidate, then became the MP from here, ensued by becoming a union minister. This is the first time I am visiting Chhindwara as the CM of the state and I’m overwhelmed by the love.”
Rousing welcome
Nath was given a grand welcome in Chhindwara. It was his first visit after he became chief minister. At least three MLAs, including Chhindwara MLA and ex-minister Deepak Saxena, Sausar MLA Vijay Chaure and newly appointed public health and engineering minister Sukhdeo Panse (the MLA from Multai seat of adjoining Betul district) offered to vacate their seats for Nath’s election to the Vidhan Sabha in the next six months. But sources close to him say he could contest the elections from the Sausar seat