Bundelkhand MPs to meet PM, Sonia on seperate state

Lucknow, Oct 29(UNI) Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha, led by cinestar Raja Bundela, today said 21 MPs from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to press for early creation of separate Bundelkhand state.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Bundela said these MPs would raise the cause of the region with a demand for the separate state at the earliest.

He also welcomed the decision of UP Chief Minister Mayawati on her support for the creation of Bundelkhand state along with Harit Pradesh and Poorwanchal.

''Only smaller states can help speedy development in the country'' he claimed.

Narrating out the neglect faced by the Bundelkhand region of UP and MP, he said against the total revenue of Rs 500 generated in the region annually, the centre was spending merely Rs 12 crore for UP and Rs 20 crore in MP.

He also announced that a massive rally in support of the separate state would be held in Lucknow in January next.

The Morcha was demanding a seperate Bundelkhand state comprising of Jhansi, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Banda, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot and Mahoba districts of UP and Panna, Damoha, Chattarpur, Tikamgarh, Sagar and Datia districts of MP.

UNI