Staff Reporter, Bhopal
In a bid to attract young electorate ahead of state assembly polls scheduled later this year, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced a number of sops including providing guarantee on loans for higher education and setting up self-employment and distributing laptops to those securing 85 per cent marks during higher secondary examinations of the Board of Secondary Education.
Mr Chouhan made the announcements while addressing ‘Yuva Panchayat’ organised at Jamboree Ground in the state capital as a series of programmes on the occasion of 150 anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Exhorting youngsters to visit border areas in order to get a feel of the conditions in which armymen serve the nation, Mr Chouhan said that his government will launch a scheme ‘Maa Tujhe Pranam’ under which youngsters will be sent to border areas.
“It is because of their sacrifice that the countrymen are able to sleep peacefully. Madhya Pradesh will take care of the families of martyrs who were killed along the border and in naxal ambushes recently,” he said. The Chief Minister reiterated that the Centre should provide a fitting response to the killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan as it hurt the pride of the nation.
Asserting that money will not be constraint in pursuing further studies, Mr Chouhan said that higher education loan guarantee scheme would be launched shortly wherein the government will provide guarantee for obtaining loans and also pay the interest. Students would only be required to pay the principal amount only six after gaining employment which will be payable in 15 years.
Pointing out that government had enhanced the budget on sports multi-fold to Rs 120 crore, Mr Chouhan announced that high-quality training will be imparted to talented children aged nine years in water sports, martial arts and shooting as a preparation for 2020 Olympics.
He said that prize money for players participating in international tournaments will be doubled. Likewise, astro-turf grounds will be established in 15 district/divisional headquarters.
Mr Chouhan said that the service of issuing various kinds of certificates such as duplicate mark sheets, migration certificates, professional degrees, correcting in mark sheets, etc will be brought under the Public Services Guarantee Act.
Delay in issuing certificates will attract a fine of Rs 250 per day that would deducted from the salary of official concerned and deposited in the student’s account.
The Chief Minister announced to provide free laptops to students securing 85 per cent or more in higher secondary examinations of the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education.
He said that vacant posts of professors will be filled up soon.
Besides, smart classes will be organised so that online lectures are organised through the use of information technology.
Claiming that industries worth Rs four lakh crore would be set up in Madhya Pradesh courtesy the government’s efforts, Mr Chouhan said that 50 per cent employment would be provided to the state’s denizens. Companies providing 90 per cent employment will be given special facilities.
In a bid to provide skilled manpower to industries, he said that the government has decided to upgrade existing industrial training institutes (ITIs) and open new ones besides opening 200 skill development centres.
He said that the government will facilitate loans for budding entrepreneurs for setting up industries in two categories.
“Loans of up to Rs 50,000 will be facilitated for setting small business ventures wherein the government will pay margin money and provide loan guarantee. Loans of up to Rs 25 lakh will also be facilitated wherein the government provide loan guarantee. In both cases, five per cent interest will be paid by the government for the next five years,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister presented a cheque of Rs four lakh to International Boxing Championship medallist Asha Roka.
State Bharatiya Janata Party President Narendra Singh Tomar, Rajya Sabha MP Prabhat Jha, former chief minister Kailash Joshi, Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma, Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur, Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta, Agriculture Minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria and various other people’s representatives were present.
