Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting to include cultural upliftment as one of the parameter to evaluate development of aspirational districts under the Transformational of Aspirational District Programme (TADP) in Chhattisgarh.

The TADP relates to development of the aspirational districts.

Baghel also suggested for inclusion of more monitoring indicators in the TADP including education in local dialect, malaria and anemia diseases, procurement of minor forest produce on support price, local art, folk dance and archealogical conservation and promotion, organic farming and allocating land under forest rights.  

Chhattisgarh has excelled in all these parameters, he said.

In his letter to PM Modi, Baghel stated “I am happy to say that Chhattisgarh has done a exemplary work on all these parameters”.

He mentioned there are 10 aspirational districts in Chhattisgarh out of which 8 districts fall in scheduled areas and 7 districts fall in tribal dominated Bastar division affected by left wing extremism.

The NITI Aayog from time to time review and evaluate development works carried in aspirational districts and does grading of those districts, the official note said.

He pointed culture and traditions have a special contributions on the life of habitants in our forest areas and villages wherein these brings a sense of harmony, enthusiasm and self reliance in the lives of locals, he said.

Therefore cultural upliftment should also be given prominence and attention in the concept of aspirational districts, Baghel suggested.

With the addition of these indicators, I am sure that the efforts being made for the holistic development of the apsirational districts will also be taken care of and the hope with which this separate monitoring system of the aspirational districts, he hoped.

The states are the main drivers in this program focuses on the strength of each district, identifying low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement and measuring progress by ranking districts on a monthly basis, the focus of the programme.