Other States - Madhya Pradesh   

M.P. session likely to be stormy

PHOTO: A.M. Faruqui

AICC General Secretary and Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh seeks blessings from Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Jamuna Devi before the State Congress Legislative Party meeting in Bhopal on Sunday.

BHOPAL: The Budget session of Madhya Pradesh Assembly beginning on Monday would be stormy as the Congress legislature party (CLP) has decided to raise several burning issues including corruption, farmers’ exploitation, electricity crisis, poor handling of drought and law and order situation.

This was announced by the leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Jamuna Devi at a press conference flanked by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, Digvijay Singh, State Congress President, Suresh Pachouri and Chairman of the State Congress election campaign committee, Ajay Singh.

Ms. Jamuna Devi said that it was decided at the CLP meeting earlier on Sunday that the issue of corruption at all levels, both political and administrative, would be raised prominently in the House. She alleged that the entire State Government machinery, from top to bottom, was reeking with corruption. The relatives and close associates of the State Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan and his Ministerial colleagues were misusing official resources and receiving extra-constitutional benefits, she alleged. The dumper scam is a case in point, she said adding that they would be taking up the issue of corruption in the House with their entire might.

Ms. Jamuna Devi said that 157 tehsils in 37 districts of Madhya Pradesh were in the grip of severe drought. The situation is particularly critical in 24 districts of Bundelkhand, Gwalior-Chambal and Vindhya regions and people were being forced to migrate. Large parts of the State are also reeling under acute water crisis, she said and went on to accuse the State Government of “failure” on its part to take up drought relief measures in right earnest. She went on to allege corruption in the implementation of Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and said that even the State Electricity Board and distribution companies were neck-deep in corruption.

Ms. Jamuna Devi said that the farmers were being given bloated electricity bills and to deceive them during the election year, it has now been decided that fifty per cent of their electricity bills would be waived and the electricity tariff for the farm sector would be slashed. She said that the Government would be asked during the budget session to waive the farmers’ entire electricity bills.

On the FIR registered at an Indore Police station on the charge that her daughter had secured admission in medical college on the basis of a false caste certificate, Ms. Jamuna Devi said that she was consulting a senior Supreme Court advocate in this matter and would be filing a defamation case against the State Chief Minister, Indore Range Inspector General of Police and other officers allegedly involved in tarnishing her image. She said that the conspiracy against her was hatched after the dumper scam, allegedly involving the Chief Minister, was taken up by her at the Lokayukta level.

Addressing media persons, the State Congress President said that the drought situation was alarming in Bundelkhand and Gwalior regions. Mr. Pachouri said that he had visited the Tikamgarh and Chhattarpur districts to assess the ground situation. On the charge that the Centre was neglecting the State’s demand for help on the drought relief front, Mr. Pachouri said that the Chief Minister had written a letter to the Union Agriculture Minister on January 17. He had also raised the issue of drought during talks with him, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

M.P. session likely to be stormy

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu