Saini Sa'aB
K00l$@!n!
Bhopal: It was probably the shortest hunger strike ever. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went on a fast on Sunday morning protesting the Centre's alleged negligence towards the state.
He was angry with the Centre for not releasing a relief package for farmers whose crops were affected by frost.
But, barely 20 minutes later, Chouhan called off the strike saying the Prime Minister had assured him his demands would be looked into.
"On the assurance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that all issues concerning Madhya Pradesh will be sorted out soon, and the advice of BJP Central leadership, I am calling off this fast launched in support of the farmers whose crops have been affected by frost and (on) several other issues," he told party workers at Dusshera Maidan in Bhopal.
Explaining the reasons for calling off the fast, Chouhan said that during his meeting with Governor Rameshwar Thakur earlier in the day, he got a telephone call from the Prime Minister, assuring him that all the issues raised by him will be sorted out soon.
Chouhan said that the Prime Minister also told him that he has authorised Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to hold discussions with the state and that the first meeting will be held on February 20 in New Delhi.
"This meeting will be arranged within a week. Let me also take this opportunity to thank you for acceding to my request not to proceed on the fast," the Prime Minister said as per the Chief Minister.
Chouhan also said that he told the Prime Minister during the telephonic conversation that he had taken the decision of undertaking fast with "a heavy heart" as all his earlier pleas had not elicited any response.
Chouhan mentioned the demands such as provision of adequate coal for power generation in the state, allocation of funds under Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) and supply of foodgrains for BPL families.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said he told the Prime Minister that till date no Central team had visited the state for assessing damage to crops due to the frost.
Chouhan also demanded that for the purpose of relief under crop insurance scheme, individual farmers, instead of a particular region should be treated as a unit.
Chouhan wrote to the Prime Minister on February 10 intimating that he intended to undertake a fast to draw his attention to various issues relating to Madhya Pradesh.
BJP had made elaborate arrangements for the fast, installing facilities for the secretariat staff, and for holding Cabinet meeting at the venue. Huge tents had been put up.
Senior BJP leaders including the party's national general secretaries, Thavar Chand Gehlot and Narendra Singh Tomar, former Chief Ministers Sunderlal Patwa, Kailash Joshi and Babulal Gaur, former Union Minister Sumitra Mahajan and the state BJP president Prabhat Jha were present on the occasion.
He was angry with the Centre for not releasing a relief package for farmers whose crops were affected by frost.
But, barely 20 minutes later, Chouhan called off the strike saying the Prime Minister had assured him his demands would be looked into.
"On the assurance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that all issues concerning Madhya Pradesh will be sorted out soon, and the advice of BJP Central leadership, I am calling off this fast launched in support of the farmers whose crops have been affected by frost and (on) several other issues," he told party workers at Dusshera Maidan in Bhopal.
Explaining the reasons for calling off the fast, Chouhan said that during his meeting with Governor Rameshwar Thakur earlier in the day, he got a telephone call from the Prime Minister, assuring him that all the issues raised by him will be sorted out soon.
Chouhan said that the Prime Minister also told him that he has authorised Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to hold discussions with the state and that the first meeting will be held on February 20 in New Delhi.
"This meeting will be arranged within a week. Let me also take this opportunity to thank you for acceding to my request not to proceed on the fast," the Prime Minister said as per the Chief Minister.
Chouhan also said that he told the Prime Minister during the telephonic conversation that he had taken the decision of undertaking fast with "a heavy heart" as all his earlier pleas had not elicited any response.
Chouhan mentioned the demands such as provision of adequate coal for power generation in the state, allocation of funds under Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) and supply of foodgrains for BPL families.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said he told the Prime Minister that till date no Central team had visited the state for assessing damage to crops due to the frost.
Chouhan also demanded that for the purpose of relief under crop insurance scheme, individual farmers, instead of a particular region should be treated as a unit.
Chouhan wrote to the Prime Minister on February 10 intimating that he intended to undertake a fast to draw his attention to various issues relating to Madhya Pradesh.
BJP had made elaborate arrangements for the fast, installing facilities for the secretariat staff, and for holding Cabinet meeting at the venue. Huge tents had been put up.
Senior BJP leaders including the party's national general secretaries, Thavar Chand Gehlot and Narendra Singh Tomar, former Chief Ministers Sunderlal Patwa, Kailash Joshi and Babulal Gaur, former Union Minister Sumitra Mahajan and the state BJP president Prabhat Jha were present on the occasion.
