MP opposes creation of Bundelkhand Authority

Bhopal, August 01 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposing initiation of the Central Government to set up a separate Bundelkhand Development Authority.

Earlier, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has demanded the creation of such an authority for the development in the backward region of Bundelkhand, which consist parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Bundelkhand comprises Datia, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Damoh and Sagar districts of Madhya Pradesh and Jhansi, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Banda and Fatehpur districts of Uttar Pradesh.

In the letter to Singh, Chouhan stated the Central Government should provide financial assistance for the development of that region and should not interfere in state affairs.

Chouhan demanded for the release of a special package for development of the region, which the State Government is demanding for some years.

Setting up of a separate development authority is against the federal structure of the country, the state government constituted a Bundelkhand Development Authority in May 2007, keeping in view the special requirements of the region, Chouhan elaborated in his letter.

Reminding Singh of his request for a special package, Chouhan stated the Union Government did not sanction any special assistance despite recommendations of the Central Study Team that visited Bundelkhand a few months ago.

"In the presentation prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Samra Committee has recommended a special assistance of about Rs.4, 000 crore to Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan stated in his letter. (ANI)