Oppn interrupts Alexander’s speech

They also displayed banners denouncing the Government’s attitude towards farmers and the terror tactics adopted by it while implementing the Small Savings Scheme. Initially, Alexander heard the slogans with rapt attention and waited, hoping they would stop. However, as the sloganeering continued, heread out his speech ignoring frequent interruptions.

When the speech ended, Congress members were countered by Sena member Shishir Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kirit Somaiyya, who raised slogans in support of Prime Minister designate Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Alexander, in his speech, assured the members that his Government was committed to creating new opportunities for employment generation.

"The statutory development boards of Vidarbha, Marathwada and rest of Maharashtra are playing an important role in securing equitable and adequate share of development for these regions. I have directed the Government to allocate Rs 100 crore for the special programmes, while Rs 1100 crore should be provided in the ensuing year for the removal of backlog in development of these regions," Alexander said.

He said the Government had decided to generate 15 lakh new jobs during the next three years and for that a separate Employment and Self-Employment Department had been created in Mantralaya.

Referringto the developmental projects, Alexander said, his Government had departed from the normal pattern of raising resources for new projects. "We took recourse to the capital market and successfully raised Rs 2500 crore through issue of bonds. This initiative will enable the accelerated completion of infrastructure projects in the fields of drinking water supply, sanitation, irrigation, roads, bridges and energy sector," he said.

Despite growing inter-state competition to attract industrial investments, Alexander said, Maharashtra continued to be in the vanguard. A total of 6,405 industrial entrepreneur memoranda, letters of intent and applications for 100 per cent export-oriented units, the highest for any State in the country were received since 1991. In addition, the State has also topped in the number of approvals obtained from Foreign Direct Investments, he said. Stating that a master plan for health delivery system was being implemented in phases to ensure health for all by 2000 AD, Alexander said theGovernment would soon establish a Health Science University at Nashik. Announcing that the Government would soon issue a comprehensive policy for women, Alexander said it had already declared 1998 as "Women’s year" and it had also been decided to implement the Integrated Child Development Services project in the ensuring year with financial help from World Bank.

Alexander also said the Government was committed to the implementation of the free housing scheme for slum dwellers.