President Praises Pace of Development of Chhattisgarh

     Naya Raipur, November 06, 2012: President of India Pranab Mukherjee today praised the pace of development of Chhattisgarh and said in its 12 years journey it had registered all round development.

     “Chhattisgarh has emerged as one of the fastest developing states in the country. This young state has registered all round development on many fronts and made its presence felt at the national level,” Mukherjee told the Rajyotshav function here.

     President Mukherjee was the Chief Guest on the sixth day of the week long state foundation day celebration at the new Capital complex.

     He also praised the Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh for the state achieving double digit growth.

     Chhattisgarh was a new state with rich ancient history and a glorious cultural heritage. It is believed to be the land of Kausalya, the mother of Lord Rama and the tapo-bhumi of saint-poet Valmiki, the President said.

     Stating that the state has a rich legacy of one of the oldest panchayat raj system in the country, Mukherjee said in order to apprise himself about the rich culture of this area, he would be visiting Narayanpur, the gateway to Abujhmad tomorrow.

     After giving away 22 individuals and three organisations 24 state level awards, the President congratulated all the persons, who have been felicitated for their important contributions in their respective fields. “It shows that talent is abundant in Chhattisgarh which reflects its vibrant and dynamic society,” he added.

     Mukherjee, who also inaugurated the new Secretariat building earlier in the evening, said he was delighted to know that Naya Raipur was the first planned capital city of 21st century in India and was being developed as a modern and green city. 

     Special features such as rain water harvesting and harvesting of solar energy has been included to make it eco-friendly, he said adding comfort and security to the citizens was being ensured through dedicated bus lanes, cycle tracks, pedestrian pathways and barrier free movement.

     A bus rapid transit system (BRTS) was also being developed from the initial stage to provide green and clean public transport system, he stated.

     “I compliment the leadership of the state for developing the city of Raipur with vision and a commitment to sustainable urban development,” Mukherjee added.

     He hoped Chhattisgarh would continue to live up to the expectations of the Nation and march ahead by attending to the needs of all sections of its people, especially the poorest of the poor.

     Governor Shekhar Dutt and Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh also addressed the gathering.

     Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar thanked the President, the Governor, the Chief Minister and others for participating in the Rajyotshav-2012.