Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM lays Foundation Stone at Bokaro Steel Plant

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy to be here today in Jharkhand. It gives me great pride to be here in Bokaro. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru described Bokaro as one of the temples of modern India. Like many of the projects undertaken after independence, Bokaro also is a symbol of our national determination to become an industrial nation. Bokaro is also a symbol of self-reliance. Bokaro is a symbol of self-determination. Bokaro is a symbol of our ability to stand on our own feet.

Brothers and Sisters, I am, therefore, very proud to be standing here on this sacred soil.

Each time I have come to Jharkhand I have been filled by a great sense of hope for the future. Jharkhand has some distance to travel before catching up with other developed states of our country. But I have always been impressed by the determination of the people of Jharkhand to seek a better life. I am, therefore, happy that I am here once again to associate myself with a new project that will create more employment, more income and more opportunities for the people of Jharkhand.

I wish all those who are associated with the Bokaro Steel Plant many more years of growth and development. The modernization of Bokaro Steel Plant will help the State and will help the Nation. Our steel industry has been growing. But it has to grow even more to meet the rising demand across the country. India's steel consumption is still very low. Though this is a hundred year old industry, I believe steel is also a sunrise industry. It has great potential for growth and modernization. I hope Bokaro will show the way forward in years to come.

Brothers and Sisters,

Our government, the Government of UPA, is committed to the welfare of the people of Jharkhand. I was happy that our Planning Commission has approved a threefold increase in the Plan allocation for the State in the Eleventh Five Year Plan. In the 10th Plan the outlay for Jharkhand was Rs. 14,630 crore. In the 11th Plan it will be Rs. 40,240 crore. This will make adequate financial resources available for the development of the State.

Our government has taken special steps to help backward regions of the country. Under the Backward Regions Grant Fund, 20 districts of Jharkhand have already been sanctioned a sum of almost Rs. 700 crore. Under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana projects to the tune of Rs 1500 crores have been sanctioned for 22 districts of Jharkhand. I am very happy that several villages in the neighbourhood of Bokaro are getting electrified today.

Our government has placed great emphasis on development of infrastructure, especially roads, railways and power sector. The National Highway from Barhi to Jamshedpur will be made a four lane highway. Similarly, the National Highway from Hazaribagh to Ranchi and from Ranchi to Jamshedpur will also be four-laned. We are also improving road connectivity from Ranchi to Vijayawada. As you know, the new Ranchi-Delhi Gharib Rath is to be operationalised soon. A new train between Ranchi and Choupan has been sanctioned and the frequency of the Bhagalpur-Vananchal Express will be increased. I am also happy to learn that under Bharat Nirman, telecom connectivity is being provided to 1694 left out villages.

The key to Jharkhand's industrial development and urban development is improved power supply. Government of India is supporting a 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project at Talaiya and a 1000 MW Thermal Power Project in the State. I am happy to inform you that more than 13 coal blocks have been allocated to various public and private undertakings including Jharkhand State Electricity Board and Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation. The Central Government is committed to the rehabilitation of the communities in the Jharia Coal Field affected by fire and land collapse. We are waiting for the approval of the rehabilitation plan by the State Government.

The infrastructure development in the State will also include projects for urban development in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission. Projects for providing basic services to the poor people living in these cities have already been sanctioned.

Brothers and Sisters,

The UPA Government has taken many steps for the empowerment and welfare of our tribal communities. We have passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers Act, 2006 to give Scheduled Tribes and traditional forest dwellers land and occupancy rights. Such land rights will offer security of livelihood to our tribal communities. I have personally written to all our Chief Ministers to sincerely implement this Act so that various dwellers can benefit from it.

I am also happy to say that our Government has ensured that the Delimitation Order of 1976 will continue to apply in Jharkhand to take care of the interests of the Scheduled Tribes in the State. Let me say once again that we will do whatever is required to ensure the social, political and economic empowerment of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities.

An important initiative we have taken to provide livelihood security for our rural folk is the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. In the last two years the Central Government has released more than Rs. 1,000 crore to provide employment to nearly fourteen lakh households in Jharkhand. I want the State Government to pay greater attention to the appropriate implementation of the rural employment guarantee programme. This programme can help soften the harsh edges of poverty and provide minimum income security to the poor. This programme was conceived by our leader, the Chairperson of UPA, Shrimati Sonia Gandhi. The aim of this programme is to realize Indira Gandhi's vision to banish poverty. ('Garibi Hatao').

Brothers and Sisters,

The key to development is empowerment of our people. The key to empowerment of our people is education. Jharkhand needs much more investment in education. I urge the State Government to pay more attention to development of education at all levels. The Central Government has increased the funds available for education by three times. There are now several programmes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Mid-day Meals programme etc. under which the State Government can expand the scope of primary and secondary education. Our Government has expanded coverage of the Mid-day meals programme to upper primary schools as well. I would like to see better utilization of the funds available so that the people of Jharkhand can benefit from the initiatives taken by the Central Government in the field of education.

I am happy to announce that the Central Government will set up a new Central University in Jharkhand. I am also happy to announce that a new Indian Institute of Management will also be set up in Jharkhand. I am also happy to announce that the Rajendra Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences will be upgraded to a AIIMS like institution with the help of central assistance of about Rs. 120 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

Brothers and Sisters,

All these initiatives will unveil a new phase in the development of Jharkhand. I assure you as Prime Minister that the Central Government is sincerely committed to the welfare, the well-being and the prosperity of the people of Jharkhand. This State has great potential. You are richly endowed in natural resources. The people of the State have demonstrated their enormous potential for creativity and enterprise.

Jharkhand needs an era of stability with a focus on improving the environment for new investment in agriculture, in industry, in infrastructure, in education and in the services economy. It is my dream that in the next decade the great story of economic development in our country will be the story of Jharkhand's march forward. The UPA Government is sincerely committed to making sure that this happens.

What we are doing today at Bokaro is just taking once step forward in that march towards building a new Jharkhand. I want all of you to walk with us in this march of progress. Jai Hind.