Investments pouring in: Jogi

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 27. The Chattisgarh Chief Minister, Mr. Ajit Jogi, today claimed that the opposition to the privatisation of BALCO privatisation exercise would not dissuade private investment in the State.

Talking to presspersons here after a meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr K. C. Pant, where the Annual Plan for 2001-02 was finalised at Rs. 1,312 crores, Mr. Jogi said investments were pouring into the State and large delegations from the U.S. and Japan have visited Chattisgarh. Five power projects were coming up in the State and some steel plants were in the pipeline, he added.

The Chief Minister denied that he was against public sector disinvestment but added that the way disinvestment took place in BALCO ``was not the direction that the process of disinvestment should take''. Mr. Jogi added that he had no plans of meeting either the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, or the Disinvestment Minister, Mr. Arun Shourie, on this issue during his present visit to the capital.

Meanwhile, at the meeting in the Planning Commission, Mr. Pant complimented the State for creating a positive balance from the current revenue for 2000-01 and suggested that efforts be made to complete the on-going schemes within the stipulated time so that the spillover to the Tenth Plan was minimised. Mr. Pant also complimented the Chief Minister for inviting other States to set up pit-head power plants as this initiative would lead to substantial savings in transportation cost. Five States had already approached Chattisgarh for setting up pit-head power generating plants, the Commission was informed.

The meeting took note of the initiatives taken by the State in meeting the health needs of the people by introducing a three- year course for doctors and for taking initiatives for reviewing the agricultural policy to bring about a fundamental change in cropping pattern. It was suggested to the Chief Minister to urgently work towards creating additional irrigation facilities as about 1.29 lakh hectares of additional irrigation potential had to be created in the next two years.

Poorest in resources

In his presentation, the Chief Minister pointed out that in spite of rich resources, Chattisgarh was among the poorest in the country. He said steps to avoid droughts were a top priority as recurring droughts were a major cause of growing poverty.

Mr. Jogi said creation of additional irrigation potential had been given top priority in the current year's Plan and agriculture and horticulture would also get adequate attention. Steps were being taken to tap the tourism potential in the State and creation of additional road infrastructure was being taken up. Mr. Jogi also wanted more highways in the State to be declared National Highways.

The Chief Minister also briefed the Commission about the growing menace of Naxalism in the State and said at present six districts were affected. The State Government had prepared a comprehensive plan for the development of these districts with an outlay of Rs. 580 crores, he added.

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