CM urges Centre to include MP as drought affected state

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the Centre to include Madhya Pradesh in the list of drought affected states due to scanty rain this season.

Chouhan said in an interview that 38 out of 50 districts in the state have already been declared as drought affected, and for Central assistance the state government has written to the Union ministry.

"In view of the loss of crops due to drought, Centre should provide assistance to the state without any discrimination," Chouhan said.

Charging the Centre with not paying attention towards the demand made by the state government, he said that the UPA government has not granted even a single penny to the state inspite of drought situation for the last three years.

He also alleged that even after recommendations of Rs 4,000 crore as relief for the drought affected areas by a Central team, nothing has been sanctioned to the state so far.

Chouhan charged the Congress with playing political game on Bundelkhand issue which was against the basic motive of Union fabric.

Pointing out that the state government has provided Rs 500 crore to the drought affected Bundelkhand region, Chouhan said the Centre has not given any relief to the area.

He accused the Congress of playing to the gallery over the constitution of Bundelkhand Development Authority by saying that it (Congress) wanted development of the area but the Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were not in its favour.

When asked about the Congress terming the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh as anti-workers, he said, the government has given so much to the working class within three years which was not provided to them in the last 50 years.

The Chief Minister said his government is serious to solve the problems of teachers in the state but they should not use Teacher's Day as a weapon for their protest.

"Whatever the compulsion with the employees and the teachers against the government, but they should give-up this type of tendency because no government can go beyond its financial capacity," he said.