Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the release of cheetahs into the Kuno National Park (KNP) has increased the chances of generating job opportunities in Sheopur district.
He was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of a medical college building costing Rs 768 crore and other developmental works in the presence of union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
"Cheetahs have arrived in Sheopur (KNP) on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This has increased the possibility of employment opportunities in Sheopur," he said.
Chouhan said that the women self-help groups (SHGs) are also getting motivated to run home-stays in villages.
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Two cheetahs, out of the total eight brought from Namibia in September last year, were released into the wild in the KNP on Saturday, almost six months after their arrival in the country. Another batch of 12 cheetahs - seven males and five females – were brought to the park from South Africa on February 18 this year, taking the total of these animals there to 20.
On the occasion, women gifted 51-feet-long 'rakhi' to CM Chouhan for the start of Ladli Bahna scheme, under which eligible women will get Rs 1,000 financial assistance per month.
Tomar said that after the construction of this medical college building and once it starts its operations, there will be no dearth of the medical facilities in Sheopur and the residents here will not be dependent on adjoining cities.
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Scindia said that a broad-gauge line is being laid between Gwalior and Sheopur under the first phase and it will be extended till Kota in the second phase.
"This will ensure the development of the region," he said.
-With PTI Input
