Chhattisgarh BJP chief quits Development Authority post

Raipur, July 27 (UNI) Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party President and senior tribal leader Shiv Pratap Singh has resigned from the post of vice-chairman of Sarguja and Northern Tribal Area Development Authority (SNTADA).

''There are no powers vested with the vice-chairman of this body.

Hence, I am unable to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the region,'' he said in a letter written to Chief Minister Raman Singh, who is also the chairman of this tribal area development authority.

Mr Singh, a veteran tribal leader, said he was appointed as the vice-chairman of SNTADA in July 2004 and he enjoyed a cabinet rank.

''For two years, I remained on this post without any powers,'' he added.

Stating that the Authority had its meeting on July 20, the BJP President said the vice-chairman was supposed to chair the meeting in the absence of the Chief Minister, who is chairman of this development authority.

''Despite being the vice-chairman, I was not allowed to preside over the meeting of the development authority. The meeting was chaired by another person,'' he said in his letter.

Mr Singh today called on Chief Minister Raman Singh at his residence and handed over his resignation letter. Besides, he has also returned his official car and other facilities.

Meanwhile, party sources said the immediate provocation for his resignation was that state Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, who also hails from tribal Sarguja region, had chaired the July 20 meeting of the SNTADA.

The vice-chairman however did not protest against minister presiding over the Development Authority meeting on July 20 as he was told that it was being done ''on orders from top'', the sources claimed.

The state government had constituted two development authorities for Bastar and Sarguja and South and North tribal area development to ensure speedy development of these naxalite-infested areas.

UNI JJ PS 1706