Chief Minister breaks his fast

Bhopal, May 01: After observing 24-hour fast against the Centre, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that he would publicly honour Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if the state's demands were conceded or else the crusade would be continued with full vigour.

Chouhan, who led his cabinet colleagues and BJP leaders in observing 'Upvas' to protest the Centre's alleged discrimination towards the state, ended the fast by taking a glass of fruit juice offered by his senior party colleague and former chief minister Sunderlal Patwa here today. BJP General Secretary Thawarchand Gahlot was also present. Addressing a gathering after breaking his fast at Roshanpura Square here, Chouhan said that he would now write a letter and meet the Prime Minister regarding resolution of various pending issues.

Chouhan said that the people of the state want to know that why adequate food grain quota for 62 lakh BPL families was not being provided to the state, why red wheat was being given for distribution under PDS, why quota of coal for various thermal power plants has been reduced, why the state's share of power from the Eastern region has been drastically cut, why the wheat from the farmers of the state was being purchased at Rs 800 per quintal while it was being imported at Rs 1600 per quintal by the Centre and why relief package was not being provided for drought hit regions of the state.

“If the Centre conceded the state's demands, the Prime Minister would be publicly honoured,” said Chouhan, adding that if the interests of the state were ignored, the BJP's campaign would be intensified by launching a state-wide 'signature campaign' on May 7. A memorandum appending the signatures would be submitted to President Pratibha Patil. He said that the 24-hour fast by the ministers and the party leaders was only the beginning of the crusade to safeguard the interests of state's people. “The party would take out a 'Nyaya Yatra' (March for Justice) to put pressure on the Centre,” he said. “The Centre's 'step-motherly' attitude to the state would also be highlighted during the general strike called by BJP against price rise on Friday,” he said. The BJP government had charged the Centre with discriminating against the state in allotting food-grain drought relief, coal supply and state's share of electricity from the Central pool.