Bengal spends more than Rs 2,000 cr for developmental work in Jhargram
Kolkata: The Bengal government in the past 9 years has spent more than Rs 2,000 crore in various developmental work in Jhargram, however, people with vested interest are trying to destabilise the area, made a haven of peace by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's sustained efforts.
At the time, Banerjee was the only political leader who used to visit the area — which had been subjected to gloom and misery during the Left Front regime — risking her life before 2011 when the Jangalmahal was a hotbed of Maoist extremism.
She had assured the people that if voted to power she would reduce the abject poverty of the hapless masses for whom getting one square meal a day was nothing but a celebration.
Now, Jhargram has witnessed a sea change with its 11.37 lakh residents reaping the benefit of development being carried out in every sector starting from tribal development to employment generation, said a senior state government official adding that "Jhargram has become the 22nd district of the state on April 4 in 2017. But, more than Rs 2,000 crore was spent to implement hundreds of projects in Jhargram since 2011."
Jhargram was turned into a health district in 2012 itself and all the eight blocks in the district have witnessed equal and massive development in health infrastructure. Beside up-gradation of the sub-divisional hospital to district hospital, now there are 14 rural hospitals compared to that of two before 2011. There are three super speciality hospitals — Jhargram, Gopiballavpur and Nayagram — and the upcoming medical college is almost complete. Along with mobile medical units for interior tribal pockets, eight out of 25 primary health centres (with 219 sub-centres) run round the clock.
Construction of roads not only ensured last-mile connectivity for the local people, but also came as a major boost for the tourism sector that is rejuvenating the economy in the region. The state Tourism department is providing financial assistance to develop homestay facilities amidst greenery and natural springs in the area.
Khakrajhore tourist guest house is also under construction. Roads near border areas at Dakai village have also been constructed. The muslin production unit and Centre of Excellence for Sal Leaf and Sabai has come up as a means of generation of job opportunities. Construction of Jangal Kanya Bridge connecting Keshiary with Narayangarh and Amtala Bridge connecting Lalgarh with Jhargram has helped in economic regeneration when the state government has taken up a special intervention programme worth Rs 9.2 crore for the primitive vulnerable tribal groups like Shabar Lodha.
Equal stress was given on all sectors ensuring better supply of drinking water, education infrastructure with a university and Rs 9 crore sanctioned in 2019 for additional class rooms in schools, agriculture and houses constructed for Shabar Lodha tribal group by Jhargram Zilla Parishad.
In a bid to sustain the ongoing development, security in the area has been beefed up following the visit of Director General of Police Virendra on Saturday.
Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs minister Shantiram Mahato, said: "Some are trying to disturb the peace at Jhargram that now has been turned to a model by the Chief Minister in different sectors after restoring peace in Jangalmahal."
District Magistrate Ayesha Rani A said: "Our endeavour is to continue with the overall development of the district so that maximum people get benefitted out of the projects."
