3,000 workers died of starvation in 2002-07 in WB: Cong

Hyderabad, June 12 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today alleged that more than 3,000 tea plantation workers had died of starvation, triggered by unemployment in West Bengal, during 2002-2007.

According to a party release here, the CLP delegation, led by government Chief Whip N Kirankumar Reddy which toured West Bengal to study welfare programmes and development activities in that state recently, found that most of the hunger deaths occurred in Dayarampur, Uday Nagar, Surya Nagar and Parashpur, which fall under Domacal sub division of Murshidabad district.

Alleging that the CPI (M) ruled state had failed to provide employment to the tea plantation workers, the CLP said the CPI (M) was winning elections consecutively since 1977 because of 'political situation' there and not due to the welfare programmes taken up by it.

Charging the government with not providing pensions to all eligible widows and handicapped, the CLP said the West Bengal Government had also failed to construct 1000 houses for poor in 2006-07, as per its target.

UNI