PM alleges 145 starvation deaths in MP

Badwani, MP, Nov 24: In a scathing indictment of Madhya Pradesh's BJP regime, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today alleged that more than 145 people died of starvation over the past three years in Satna district.

''Massive corruption took place in Madhya Pradesh vis-a-vis central funds. I urge people to make use of the Right to Information Act to expose those involved in corruption,'' he said while addressing an election meeting in Congress favour at the headquarters of this tribal-dominated district in this poll-bound state.

Firing a broadside at the state government, Dr Singh pointed out that the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and several ministers had Lokayukta cases registered against them.

The Premier claimed that the Centre pumped in crores of rupees for education, health, employment and other sectors in Madhya Pradesh but the impact was invisible as the state government ''heavily misused'' the amount.

Claiming that he well understood the difficulties and needs of this state's backward, poor and tribal segments, Dr Singh said, ''that is why central programmes bore in mind that every section should benefit from development.'' The Prime Minister claimed that Madhya Pradesh was provided more than Rs 3,600 cr under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme over the past three years.

UNI