BJP alleges discrimination with Opposition-ruled states

New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) The BJP today accused the Centre of adopting a discriminatory attitude towards BJP-ruled states, particularly Madhya Pradesh, in the allocations of foodgrains, power and grant to face droughts in many districts of the state.

The party also raised the issue in both the Houses of Parliament, complaining that it was the Centre's vindictive attitude towards Madhya Pradesh which had forced Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to adopt the unprecedented way of protest by going on a 24-hour hunger strike.

Addressing newspersons, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said that the Chief Minister had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January and again wrote a letter regarding the severe drought situation in the state.

He said a Central team had visited the drought-prone area and submitted its report but till date, not a single pie had been sent to the state as grant. Thirty-seven out of 48 districts, he said, were reeling under severe drought, which hit the state for the second consecutive year.

Mr Naidu said the State had limited revenue and it was up to the Centre to rush relief to face natural calamities.

The Centre, he alleged, had not supplied enough foodgrains, particularly wheat to the people living under BPL and APL just to arouse the public opinion against the State Government. On the other hand, the Centre had been quite liberal while making allocations of foodgrains for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

While cautioning that such kind of attitude was against the very spirit of federalism, he said the Centre would have to mend its 'blatant partial behaviour', otherwise the federal system would collapse.

On the energy front, he said that the State was being provided as little as 35 MW of electricity from the central pool as against its share of 350 MW.

Earlier, raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, BJP member Sumitra Mahajan drew the attention of the Centre to the 24-hour fast by Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues to highlight the "stepmotherly" treatment being meted out to the State.

She said the Sarni power plant was left with only four days of coal stock, while accusing the Centre of slashing the state's share of electricity from the Central pool and curtailing coal supply to thermal stations.

In Rajya Sabha, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj rapped the Government for discrimination against Madhya Pradesh.

While the state had 60 lakh people living below the poverty line, quota was being given only for 41 lakh.

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