Cong CMs' Conclave at Nainital on Sept 23-24

New Delhi, Aug 26 (UNI) The Chief Ministers of the 14 Congress-ruled States in the country will deliberate on the problems of agriculture at the seventh CMs' Conclave to be held at the picturesque town of Nainital in Uttaranchal on September 23 and 24.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the two-day conclave, which is likely to be attended by some Union Ministers, including Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Home Minister Shivraj Patil, according to highly placed sources.

Asked whether Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar would also attend the conclave, the sources ruled out the possibility, saying he was not in the Congress. However, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria was expected to attend the conclave.

AICC General Secretaries incharge of the States will also participate in the conclave,which is the second after the Chandigarh conclave ever since the Congress-led UPA coalition Government came to power at the Centre more than two years ago.

Besides the Chandigarh conclave,the earlier Chief Ministers conclaves were held when the Congress was in the Opposition at Delhi twice and it Gauhati, Mount Abu and Srinagar.

The agrarian crisis and the plight of farmers leading to several cases of suicides in various parts of the country were likely to dominate the discussions during the two day meet.

The conclave, which is a follow up of the Chief Ministers' meet held in Delhi two months ago to consider the issue of price rise, will review the progress of the steps taken by the Congress-ruled states to contain the price rise and chalk out an action plan to control the prices. It will also draw up a strategy to provide definite relief to the debt-ridden farmers.

UNI YS PK RK1955