Author: Manoj C G
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: May 15 2011
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/i-am-not-in-competition-with-modi-or-any-other-chief-minister/791035/0
Raman Singh: Chhattisgarh has seen a growth
of 11.75 per cent and registered a GDP growth of 10.47 per cent over the last
five years, which is the best in the country. Our per capita income has increased
from Rs 10,600 to Rs 40,000. The national average of agriculture growth was
2.3 per cent for the last 5-6 years; we registered 4.92 per cent this year
and next year we are planning 5.6 per cent. Bastar, about which it is said
that the area is full of landmines and Naxals and blasts, records nearly 50
per cent polling. So while many people try to spread this misconception, this
shows people here believe in the idea of democracy.
Manoj C G: There seems to be a dip in Naxal
violence in Chhattisgarh. Is this because of some special measures you have
taken?
Our police force was not prepared-mentally
or physically-for guerrilla warfare. The first task we did was to replace
fat, old men with young jawans. We strengthened the force, trained them, gave
them sophisticated weapons, improved the functioning of police stations. In
the second phase, I visited all Naxal-affected areas and asked people what
they thought the solution was. The solution they wanted was not for Raman
Singh to be killed in a mine blast. They needed roads, PDS, water, power,
anganwadi in villages and I am trying to provide it. We gave over 2 lakh land
pattas. We are developing their land, providing them loan at 3 per cent interest.
This helps us win over the confidence of people. Today, 95 per cent people
of Bastar and other areas are with us.
We discussed the Naxal issue with the home
minister and the PM in Delhi. The problem in Chhattisgarh is that it is surrounded
by six states and so, unless these states have a joint and integrated plan
to check Naxals, ensure development and win over the confidence of people,
the problem cannot be solved. Today, we are in a better position compared
to any other point in time over the last six years. We are implementing all
democratic schemes there-panchayat election, assembly election. We are also
ensuring welfare programmes like PDS, anganwadi. People have started believing
in us, but why is that maximum incidents of blasts and Naxal killings take
place in Chhattisgarh? The reason is that we are taking the fight to their
camp. The long-term strategy is to ensure development and work for peace.
We are doing it.
Coomi Kapoor: Are you satisfied with the Central
government's assistance?
When the CMs of all states and the PM sit
down to discuss the issue, there is an agreement among us that an integrated
programme should be formed. This is not the responsibility of a single state,
but a cumulative responsibility of all states and the Centre. But when an
incident takes place, the state government is held responsible.
Coomi Kapoor: Andhra got rid of Naxals by
pushing them out of their state. Naxals are going from one state to another.
Pushing them from one state to another is
not the solution. You have to get to the root of the Naxal problem. If the
Naxals are being trained in Abujhmad, then we have to work in that area. Naxals
from Chhattisgarh sneak into Maharashtra, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. There
is no fixed position in guerrilla war. Hence all these states and Centre are
required to work on a long-term plan.
Amitabh Sinha: Do you think the Binayak Sen
case has caused embarrassment to your government?
In Binayak Sen's case, getting bail is not
a big thing. Also, the case came from the lower court to the High Court and
then to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has decided only on the bail,
(other) cases (against him) will continue in the High Court.
Shekhar Gupta: Has Binayak Sen become a contentious issue between the state
and the government? The Planning Commission invited him (Sen has been made
member of the Planning Commission's Steering Committee on Health).
I asked the Planning Commission if there is
a shortage of specialists or doctors in the country. At least those who are
appointed to such committees should not be convicted or facing charges.
Rakesh Sinha: Last week, the Supreme Court
raised questions over SPOs (Special Police Officers), asking that if at some
point, this force turns against you, what would you do?
There are nearly 75,000 SPOs across the country-from
J&K to Chhattisgarh. We have 4,000 of those. They are working with us,
we have trained them, the Central government has given its consent. These
SPOs are our boys and 35-40 per cent of them have since joined the police.
These are mostly tribals and will gradually be absorbed in the government.
Shekhar Gupta: Are you convinced that the
case against Binayak Sen was genuine? There is an immense interest in the
case-among NGOs, even foreign governments. Is there any missionary angle involved
here? How crucial is this connection?
Two things are clear in his case. As a doctor,
no one knew Sen in Chhattisgarh. He did move around in forests with a stethoscope.
I provide treatment to 2 lakh children, replace their valves free of cost.
Second, during the last two years, no one
from Chhattisgarh has led a protest in any town, village or city. These protesters
came from outside-they would come in aeroplanes, wearing good clothes and
perfume. No one recognised that these well-dressed people were coming from
France and London.
The Chhattisgarh government may have arrested
a big personality (Sen), but I would ask people why didn't any of these NGOs
visit the state when over 2,000 people were killed (in Naxal attacks)? How
can these double standards continue? A person is in jail and the entire world
comes to Chhattisgarh and sheds tears, but there is not a single word against
those who carry on this violence.
(Sen) has links with NGOs that work in Chhattisgarh.
His close links with missionaries are well known.
Shekhar Gupta: Is your focus more on him because
of these missionaries, because fighting conversion is also an agenda for your
party?
No, it's not the reason. We have other mechanisms
to tackle conversion and we are working on those. It's not linked with Naxalism.
There is no bigger issue than Naxalism.
Shekhar Gupta: Is your government targeting
him because of his possible links with missionaries?
Even if he visits Hanuman temple daily, it
would not affect me. I am against Naxals.
Raj Shekhar*: Is there a solution to this
problem of land acquisition so that it does not keep coming up and development
is also not affected?
Land acquisition has become one of the biggest
issues in the country. We have made a policy decision that whatever land we
acquire for industry, we will give a compensation that will enable the farmer
to buy at least four times the amount of land that he gives. When we came
to power, the price for land was Rs 50,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs one lakh per
acre. We revised the prices to Rs 6, 8 and 10 lakh per acre, whether the land
is in a tribal region or in the plains. And this the minimum rate. The farmers
actually get more than this. Then, we arrange employment for them and education
for their children. For the largest steel plant planned in Bastar, 1,200 acres
of land was acquired. Work for the plant has started. Not a single protest
took place because the compensation that was provided enabled the people to
buy land elsewhere as well as find employment for the mselves. If your policies
are able to satisfy the locals, there will be no protests. You have to talk
to the people. If you don't change your policies, there will be difficulties.
It is not that we don't have any problems. There are many projects coming
to our state and some of them are facing opposition. But we try to sort the
issue out by talking to the people, not by using force. The Tata project (in
Bastar) has been delayed by 3-4 years but I have told the company that unless
you satisfy the local people, we will not allow you to enter this region.
We will never use force to quell protests.
Shekhar Gupta: There were recent reports that
a new ultra mega power project in your state has been scrapped.
Some coal blocks in our state have been designated
as a No-Go area by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Now till you have
coal, there can be no power plants. Some of these No-Go areas have now been
cleared by the Central government. Till the coal blocks are opened, even the
existing projects will be in trouble.
Nistula Hebbar: People say you won your second
term through an effective food distribution programme. Now there is talk of
direct cash transfers. What is your view on that?
I am part of the committee that is discussing
the Food Security Act. I have clearly suggested that in PDS, cash subsidy
cannot be an option. We should forget about it. The biggest challenge in our
state is reducing the rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality and malnutrition.
These, I think, are bigger problems than Naxalism. Ever since we came to power,
we have been able to bring about a drastic reduction in infant mortality and
maternal mortality rates. We would like to bring further improvement in that.
In Chhattisgarh, we are providing foodgrains to 32-34 lakh families through
the public distribution system. I can say that about 95 per cent of these
people are happy with the PDS. If this can happen in Chhattisgarh, why not
in the rest of the country? Now, instead of foodgrains, if you give cash,
you are opening up the possibility of people going and buying liquor with
it. I am firmly opposed to cash subsidies. Chhattisgarh has set a model by
reducing the possibility of PDS leakage by 95 per cent. We must replicate
this.
Coomi Kapoor: On PDS, your government increased
the number of people under the poverty line, which the Central government
says cannot be done all over the country because of financial constraints.
Second, you got rid of the private sector. How did you manage these two things?
First, we amended the law. All private sector
shops in PDS were closed. Second, we tried to find out why there was so much
corruption in PDS. We were told the shopkeepers do not have any working capital.
So we decided to provide Rs 75,000 interest-free loans to every PDS shopkeeper.
They were also given the facility of advance lifting of foodgrains for one
month. The third thing we did was to increase the shopkeeper's commission
four times. From Rs 4 or Rs 5 per quintal, we started giving him Rs 25. His
economy, therefore, became viable. We told them there was no reason to steal
now. We also published the list of PDS claimants and put it up everywhere.
We have 10,000 PDS shops all over the state. We have created sheds for these
shops. A toll-free number has been set up and local politicians, journalists
and others are encouraged to file complaints on these numbers. The vehicles
carrying foodgrains have been painted yellow so that they can be easily identified
and their movement is tracked through GPS. All 34-35 lakh families who are
beneficiaries of PDS are listed and I can see the list in my office. I am
not saying we have ended corruption in PDS but we have certainly minimised
it.
Nistula Hebbar: Last year, your state was
ranked number one in the country ahead of Gujarat. How does it feel to have
beaten Modi?
There is no competition with Modi or any other
chief minister. Chhattisgarh's problems are different from that of others,
say, Gujarat or Maharashtra or Madhya Pradesh. Some of the work we are doing
today was already done in some other states, which are developed, ten years
ago. I am happy that our GDP growth is good, agricultural growth is good.
If we are ranked number one or two or three at national level in any area,
it is good for us.
Raj Shekhar: What is your view on demands
for smaller states?
Size is no yardstick for a state. You have
to see what kind of resources are available in the area. Along with resources,
if the leadership is not developed, there would be a problem. Chhattisgarh
is a model state that had the resources and also the political leadership.
Today, there is talk of smaller states because of the success of Chhattisgarh.
I am not saying that I am providing the best leadership, but I am providing
a stable government. None of my planning is for five years. I talk of 25 years
and people laugh at me saying when you have only two-and-a-half years left,
why do you talk of 25 years? Our policies on power generation, mining and
other things are all framed keeping a long-term view of the state.
Manoj C G: Are you satisfied with your state's
relationship with the Centre?
In Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
for example, not one road has been approved in Chhattisgarh in the last two
years. We were told there is a problem with quality. Now, if there is 30 per
cent deficiency in the quality of roads being constructed in Chhattisgarh
and 70 per cent deficiency in some other state and still funds are released
for that other state, then there is a problem. For power distribution, there
is a fixed Gadgil formula for deciding which state gets how much. There is
a problem if that formula is not being applied uniformly for every state.
In such situations, we are left with no option but to protest. Similarly,
if a medical college has to be opened, eight states are chosen but Chhattisgarh
is ignored. We have disagreements with the Centre on such issues, which we
convey at the appropriate time.
- For longer version, visit www.indianexpress.com
* Raj Shekhar is a student of Ayush IAS
