UN Stand Up: Chouhan declares war on poverty

Indore, Oct 16 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today declared a war against starvation, poverty, illiteracy and disease -- with universal cooperation -- during a programme organised here in consonance with the United Nations' Stand Up Against Poverty, Stand Up for the Millennium Development Goals initiative.

''If the government and society stand up together it is possible to wipe out the curse of impoverishment,'' he felt.

Thousands of children, youth, officials and representatives of various faiths took an oath -- at the Nehru Stadium -- to gather support for Millennium Development Goals. Among those present were Public Works Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, National Scheduled Castes Commission Member Phoolchand Verma, UN Director Salil Shetty and Mayor Umashashi Sharma.

''The Bal Sanjeevani campaign against malnutrition has reduced the percentage of severely-malnourished children from 5.5 per cent to 1 per cent. Similarly, a 'School Chalein Hum' campaign has helped enrol about 18 lakh kids. Institutional delivery has reached 46 per cent from 26,'' said Mr Chouhan.

Claiming that an employment guarantee scheme provided jobs to 21 lakh persons, he added that cooperative banks slashed interest rates on farm loans from 14 per cent to 7.

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