UP to enact law to deal 'sternly' with starvation deaths

Banda, Nov 8 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today announced that the state government would soon enact a law to deal ''sternly'' with those responsible for starvation deaths in the state.

Addressing a public meeting here, Mr Yadav said the law will have the provision for dismissal of anyone right for District Magistrate to Lekhpals, if they were found responsible from any starvation death.

However, he refuted the charge that certain farmers had committed suicide owing to starvation, and deplored the ''malicious campaign'' in which certain alleged incidents of suicide had been attributed to starvation.

On the occasion, the CM distributed, under the Kanya Vidya Dhan Yojna, cheques worth Rs 8.90 crore to 4,450 girls belonging to all the four districts of the division and Rs 3.77 crore as unemployment allowance to 10,771 educated youth.

He maintained India could not emerge a superpower by 2020 without eradication of poverty and solving the problems of unemployment, besides improving the lot of the women folk.

''The distribution of unemployment allowance to youth is the responsibility of all governments having faith in the welfare of the people,'' he said.

Mr Yadav asserted the development of Bundelkhand would be stepped up to make it a model division. ''Neither the central nor the state goverments in the past did anything substantial to remove regional imbalances in UP,''he said He said the help of scientists and engineers would also be taken to solve the problem of drinking water in Chitrakoot division.

Referring to the spiritual, religious, cultural, historical and mythological importance of Chitrakoot, the CM said his government would do everything possible to eradicate backwardness in the area.

The Samajwadi Party supremo reacted strongly to the criticism of the Kanya Vidya Dhan Yojna and the unemployment allowance.

''Former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee did not reply to my letter written to him regarding the scheme. The present PM merely acknowledged receipt of my letter on the subject.'' Mr Yadav claimed a Central Minister only sent a letter stating the centre had no policy to distribute unemployment allowance, as it would hamper the development works.

''Six lakh people have got employment during the last three yrs and two lakh more employment opportunities will be created soon,'' he asserted.

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