Ranchi: Chief Minister Raghubar Das today appealed to the people of Jharkhand to celebrate Deepawali the Swadeshi way. He said the Diwali revelers should promote indigenous festive items by purchasing them in place of other alternatives in the market such as Chinese made products.
Das, speaking at the inaugural function of the five-day long Diwali Mela 2016 organized by Jharkhand IAS Officers� Wives Association, said the people should help potters and self help groups by buying their products and ensure prosperity in the villages. He said the government too, wanted to bring prosperity in the villages of Jharkhand where the light of progress was yet to reach.
The CM said there was special and urgent need to promote the Make In India campaign started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said Make in Jharkhand campaign should also be launched on the lines of the Make in India campaign. He said the government was willing to extend help to the local artisans by assisting them in branding and marketing of their products.
�The entire state will benefit if the rural economy is strengthened. We should not forget our culture and traditional values,� the CM said.
�We cannot become world power by borrowing from the world. The world can become a market for India. We can do successful marketing of our products. We have capable sculptors and other artisans. The government is dedicated to the cause of poor and Adivasi people. We have planned to set up urban haat in every district where products made by self help groups and villagers will be sold,� he said.
The CM said the state government had planned to dedicate the Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi to the martyrs of Chhota Nagpur to enlighten the coming generations about the bravery and sacrifice of the state�s martyrs.
Commenting on the questions being raised by various Opposition parties in the state on the proposed amendments in the CNT Act, Das said that people should not pay heed to rumours.
He said that certain political parties were trying to mislead people on the said issue. He said the government had not tampered with the basic features of the Act.
�We have made the process easier. Approval was taken from the Tribal Advisory Council. Those against development are mainly protesting the amendments. There are 30 lakh families deprived of electricity. We have to set up 258 power sub stations and grids. We also need to build hospitals, anganwadi centres and schools for which we need land. Land acquisition will be possible only after the approval of the Gram Sabha.
Compensation process will be completed in four months against the present time period of two years. The poor people will get compensation in time,� the CM said.
The event was also attended by the additional Chief Secretary NN Pandey, Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal and president of Jharkhand IAS Officers� Wives Association, Neelam Pandey.
There are a total of 221 stalls in the Diwali Mela. Out of these, 50 stalls have been allotted to needy people, organizers said.
