Raman Singh completes 13 years as CM in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has completed an uninterrupted 13-year rule in the Naxal-hit state riding on welfare schemes and infrastructural development amid challenges like civil supply scam, botched sterilisation surgery and alleged fake Maoist encounters.

Having an image of a “gentleman politician”, Singh earned nationwide popularity for his several schemes, particularly public distribution system (PDS), but at the same time faced allegations by opposition Congress of becoming “puppet” in the handsof bureaucrats.

The opposition has also questioned the ruling BJP, quoting some official figures, that if around 40 per cent of people in the state are still below poverty line, which is the highest in the county, then for whom the development has been done in the over-decade-long BJP government.

The 64-year-old Ayurvedic doctor-turned politician assumed office of chief minister on December 7, 2003.

In the earlier Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at Centre, he was Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry from 1999 to 2003 and named as president of BJP in the new state of Chhattisgarh ahead of Assembly polls in 2003.

He led the party to victory, defeating then Congress government of Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.

On many occasions, even some senior leaders of his own party expressed their displeasure over his working style.

But, despite all the challenges, he emerged as a silent performer and has become the longest serving BJP chief minister of a state in the country.

“It was the blessings and trust of people that led the party to win three consecutive elections in the state. We do politics of development,” says Singh.

Economic development

“When we came to power in 2003, the state was facing several problems, including Naxalism, but now the situation has changed. In 2003, the budget of the state was Rs 7,000 crore which has now expanded to a whopping Rs 78,000 crore.

Power generation capacity as well as telecommunication facilities have increased in the state,” he pointed out.

“Chhattisgarh was once termed as a backward state but now it is attracting maximum industrial investment across the country,” the Chief Minister said.

His schemes like Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayta Yojana scheme, under which rice, salt and gram are given at cheaper rates to 58,80,000 families, interest free agriculture loans, promotion of digital technology and online services, have made him popular among the masses.

Transparent PDS system

Singh is also credited with introducing a transparent and efficient PDS system which is being followed by other states. Besides, he succeeded in enacting Chhattisgarh Food Security Act, much before the National Food Security Act.

Along with appreciation, his government also faced allegations of corruption.

When the alleged multi-crore scam in the state’s civil supply corporation was unearthed last year, over a dozen officials and employees were booked in this connection.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is likely to submit a charge sheet against two IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers in connection with the scam.

Even the opposition tried to embroil the Chief Minister and his family in the scam.

The state government also faced criticism over death of women after sterilisation surgery at government-held camps in Bilaspur in 2014, the incident of unnecessary hysterectomies by doctors to allegedly make insurance claims, botched cataract surgeries, and alleged killing innocent tribals in the name of Naxal encounters.

Left Wing Extremism has been another major issue with which the state has been struggling since past several years.

The chief minister says that the way Maoist problem has been eliminated from Sarguja (north Chhattisgarh bordering Jharkhand and Odisha), Bastar will also soon get out of the clutches of Naxalism.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress has put forth 13 questions on different issues, including promises made to farmers by BJP ahead of the last Assembly polls, alleged increasing graph of crime against women and scams, before Chief Minister Raman Singh on completion of 13 years of his government, challenging him to come up for a debate over it.

“Chhattisgarh was known as paddy bowl, but according to the statistics of last few years, four farmers have committed suicide daily, on an average, in the state,” state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel said.

“BJP has cheated farmers by not providing them bonus of Rs 300 and minimum support price of Rs 2,100 for each quintal of paddy, as promised them during the last Assembly polls,” Baghel alleged.

“Development can’t be achieved just by constructing some buildings and roads. The statistics reveal the ground realty that how common man’s life has became difficult in the past 13 years of BJP government,” he further said.

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