JPP demands 'Greater Jharkhand'

Two days after the decision to form Telangana, Jharkhand People's Party (JPP) today renewed its demand for 'Greater Jharkhand' merging parts of West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh with the existing state.
'Greater Jharkhand' consists of Purulia, Bankura and Midnapore districts of West Bengal, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Sambalpur districts of Odisha and Sarguja and Raigarh districts of Chattisgarh along with present Jharkhand, JPP President Surya Singh Besra told reporters here.
Besra said the ethnic and cultural identity and geo-political situation of these tribal dominated districts of the states were similar and should be merged with Jharkhand, which was accorded a separate statehood following bifurcation of Bihar in 2000.

Stating that the demand for 'Greater Jharkhand' was about eight decades old, Besra said the demand for smaller states was growing louder since the Union Government had decided to accord statehood to Telangana bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.