Sunday, March 12 2006 14:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Heading a tenuous coalition Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda who completes one year in office today, has reasons to sound upbeat about the prospect of his Government asserting that he had made relentless efforts to give importance to every ally.

"I have been flexible and trying earnestly for collective functioning and got cooperation as well. Discussions and debates are part of a democratic set-up," Munda told sources in an interview.

Munda, who heads the BJP-led NDA with wafer-thin support of 43 MLAs in the 82-member House (including the nominated member), weathered pressures from coalition partners and barbs from inside the party from senior BJP leaders like Babulal Marandi and Yashwant Sinha.

Apparently to divert the internal rumblings that surfaced time-to-time Munda raised issues like royalty hike, allotment of special financial package with the Union government and criticised the union budget alleging it ignored Jharkhand's interests.

Was not the state NDA silent for four years when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was heading the NDA at the Centre? Was it because equations having changed with the UPA assuming office at the Centre, the Arjun Munda government was singing a different tune?

"I never see on the basis of what profit we have got during the NDA regime and what loss the state suffered after the UPA has come. What I feel is if Jharkhand has the potentiality it should be given opportunities and scopes for allround development, which in the larger perspective, would push up the national growth rate," Munda, who also completes three years in two terms, said.

"Stating that he did not believe in the game of criticism irrespective of whichever government was at the Centre, Munda, said things should be observed from the perspective of how Jharkhand's potential could be used and not by ignoring its needs. This was imperative in the interest of the national growth," he said.

"I have sincerely tried to maintain good relations with the Centre and participated in every meeting convened by it",Munda said to another query whether the State Government was satisfied with the union government's cooperation.

Emphasising the demand for increase in royalty on minerals, particularly on coal, Munda, said he expected the Centre would help in developing infrastructure in the fledgling state which would give a boost to the national economy too. To drive home his reasoning, the Chief Minister said big industrial houses in the country and abroad had realised the worth of the mineral-rich state and had committed to invest in various sectors with a combined capital of Rupees one lakh eighty-two thousand crore.

Stating that he was optimistic about implementation of all commitments made by the investors, Munda however, made it clear that the intention of his government was not to displace the people.

"I would like to have a policy built on consensus which will keep in mind how the people will be benefited from it.

"Instead of talking on displacement we should think and device a policy which will improve the earnings, quality of education and improvement of health which will ultimately enhance the standard of living of the people."