The Hindu : National : Chauhan stages fast against ‘neglect’

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National

Chauhan stages fast against ‘neglect’

Lalit Shastri

Says Centre silent on demand to tackle power crisis, drought and grain shortage in Madhya Pradesh

— Photo: A.M. Faruqui

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on a fast with BJP workers in Bhopal on Wednesday. (Right) Shivraj Singh’s wife Sadhna Singh sings bhajans with party Mahila Morcha workers at the venue.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan sat on a 24-hour fast at the busy Roshanpura Square here on Wednesday to protest against the “apathy of and deliberate inaction by” the Centre on the State government’s demand to tackle the “grim power situation, severe drought and shortage of foodgrains.”

Members of the State Cabinet joined the protest by sitting on a fast at various district headquarters across the State. Mr. Chauhan had earlier written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with an ultimatum that he would be forced to sit on a fast if the Centre failed to address the issues confronting the State.

Talking to The Hindu at the venue of his “fast,” Mr. Chauhan said he met the Prime Minister and Central Ministers several times, but the Centre was deliberately neglecting the interests of the people of Madhya Pradesh. “I might be an adversary, but it is unfortunate that they have decided to settle scores with me by working against the interests of the people of Madhya Pradesh.”

Electricity crisis had worsened in the State after supply from the eastern grid was reduced from 350 MW to 31 MW. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited had been told to go slow on the Chachai-Amarkantak and Birsinghpur power projects. Even after completion of work, the Birsinghpur unit was facing problems on the maintenance front. The allotment of coal for different power generation units had also been reduced by the Centre, he added.

Pawar’s visit cancelled

Mr. Chauhan said the Centre was not paying attention to proposals to tackle the severe drought in large parts of the State. It even failed to act on the advice of the Central teams that were here to study the drought situation. Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar was scheduled to visit the State on April 4, but his programme was cancelled.

Due to the prevailing drought situation, the State had asked the Centre to allocate 1.19 lakh tonnes of foodgrains every month for distribution to the Above Poverty Line families.

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