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Mayawati writes to PM on Bundelkhand

Photo: Subir Roy

Chief Minister Mayawati and other members pay homage to BSP MLA from Lalitpur Sadar Engineering Singh Nathu Ram Kushwaha on the opening day of the monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Friday.

LUCKNOW: The proposed Bundelkhand Development Authority of the Centre for integrated development of the backward region of Uttar Pradesh is yet to take shape, but Chief Minister Mayawati has made it known that the move would amount to transgressing the State’s authority and imposition of indirect Central rule in the area. It is also against the Constitution.

Clearly, the Chief Minister is in no mood to relent on the issue and allow the Congress to dominate the politics of the region.

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, the Chief Minister --- reacting to reports appearing in a section of the Press about formation of such a body --- said politics should be kept away from development and the people of the region should not treated as “pawns in the political game”. This is the Chief Minister’s second letter to Dr. Singh in as many days.

The bullet points of the letter to the Prime Minister were read out to the Press by Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh here on Friday. Mentioning the existence of the State-controlled Bundelkhand Divisional Development Corporation (revived in April 2008) and the Bundelkhand Special Area Development Authority (formed in July 2008), Ms. Mayawati has said no new administrative structure is needed for the region. Instead, a financial package from the Centre is required for development of the backward region.

Ms. Mayawati has reiterated her demand for a Rs.80,000-crore special area incentive package.

The move gained ground after a delegation of Congressmen led by Rahul Gandhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently and demanded a package of Rs.8,000 crore and formation of a development authority/council for Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. had sparked off a political tussle between the Congress and the BSP.

Following the fresh move by the Congress, there are apprehensions in Lucknow that the Congress-led UPA Government’s concern for development of Bundelkhand goes beyond the formation of a authority/council. It probably marks the first step towards the formation of a separate Bundelkhand incorporating seven districts of UP and 11 of Madhya Pradesh.

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