Ajsu seeks Prez intervention to accord spl status to Jharkhand

The Ajsu party, which has been staging demonstration in support of a special economic package for Jharkhand, today met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi and sought his intervention in addressing the "concerns" of the state, a statement issued here said.
Heading a delegation, party president and former deputy chief minister Sudesh Mahto apprised the President of how Jharkhand lagged behind in development and deserved special package.
Mahto submitted a memorandum to the President at the Rastrapati Bhavan, a day after he held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in the national capital as part of the party's sixth phase agitation.

A copy of the memorandum released to the press said, according a special status to Jharkhand "would go a long way in addressing the development concerns not only of Jharkhand, but also of the nation as a whole."
The memorandum cited lack of infrastructure, 29 per cent of forest coverage leaving 'negligible portion' of cultivated land and several other factors to back its demand for special package.
Besides Mahto, the delegation comprised party MLAs Chandraprakash Choudhary, Kamal Kishore Bhagat, Uma Kant Rajak, Ramchandra Shahish and Navin Jaiswal, the release added.