Bhattacharya promises more work on development

"The West Bengal Human Development Report makes it clear that much remains to be done, and that there is a vast scope for improvement in terms of the basic conditions of health and education for the state," said the chief minister of the state, Buddhadev Bhattacharya, while releasing the report in the city yesterday.

"The report has also pointed out that employment generation is a issue in the state today and our government also considers this as the most important factor that needs to be addressed at the present moment. We are exploring the possibilities for the expansion and diversification of productive employment both in the urban and rural areas of the state," he explained.

Buddhadev said the report mentioned there was a need to improve the efficacy and responsiveness of public delivery systems in the areas of health and education.

There was a need for involving panchayats to a greater extent in various aspects of public service delivery, the need to increase the work participation of women and improve the conditions and remuneration of such work.

The report mentioned the need to improve certain nutritional indicators, especially for women and children, along with the need for identifying certain pockets where literacy and basic education was still wanting.

The chief minister admitted there was the need for sensitivity to the special requirements of particular social groups and regions which were backward for various reasons.

"The need to address the problems of the landless people in the rural areas of the state was another important issue," he added.

"These issues and other problems need to be discussed widely and considered in greater detail by citizens across the state. We intend to make this report the basis for broad-based consultations in order to evolve a more specific plan of action for the future. We hope that this report will enable our government to formulate some new policies and positive change in human development conditions," he concluded.