CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls on Union Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman
Bhopal : Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan called on Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in her office at New Delhi today and discussed issues related to financial management and central schemes. Union Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman praised Madhya Pradesh and said that the state has emerged due to its superior financial management and financial performance. In a meeting with the Finance Minister that lasted for about an hour, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan discussed in detail about the various financial issues, Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana, Chief Minister’s Rural Path Vendors Scheme, pending amount for capital based works at the centre and one percent (unconditional) additional loan approval.
Shri Chouhan urged the Union Finance Minister that for better financial management, states should be allowed to taske one percent additional loan from the market so that during the financial crisis and Covid crisis, neither will the pace of development work get affected nor would the schemes of public welfare or other development works get obstructed.
The Chief Minister told the Finance Minister that Madhya Pradesh leads in Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi Yojana. But due to certain practical problems, the bank rejects the loan applications of applicants. The major problem is the demand of CIBIL ratings by banks, of which the poor have no information. Shri Chouhan urged that the CIBIL rating should not apply to street vendors. The Union Finance Minister readily accepted this request. Shri Chouhan informed that Madhya Pradesh has chalked out a rural street vendor scheme with a view to bring back the lives of street vendors in rural areas on track. Under this, the state government is providing loans up to Rs 10 thousand without interest. Shri Chouhan hoped the Centre to extend cooperation in this scheme.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan told that the limit for taking additional loan from the market can be increased for the states that support the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s plan to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat. The state can currently take 3 per cent loan of GDP from the market. For every reform out of the four reforms suggested by the Prime Minister to become self-reliant, 0.25 percent GDP loan can be rightfully taken from the market. Shri Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh has completed three reforms. In lieu of this, the central government has given permission to the state government to take 0.75 percent additional loan from the market. Now only one reform has to be made. We are working fast on that as well and once it is completed, Madhya Pradesh will get approval to take 0.25 percent loan from the market.
On infrastructure development, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan informed that out of Rs 1600 crores an amount of Rs 660 crore was sanctioned by the Centre to Madhya Pradesh, of which the state has received only Rs 330 crore so far. Shri Chouhan urged that the remaining Rs 330 crore should be released soon so that the remaining infrastructure works can be completed by March 31, 2021. Shri Chouhan informed that the Union Finance Minister has decided to give an additional Rs. 660 crore for better performance in the field of infrastructure.