Chouhan Opposes Setting up of Bundelkhand Development Authority

In the wake of Centre’s decision to set up separate Bundelkhand Development Authority, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the move, said media reports citing an official.

It may be mentioned that the move to establish a separate development authority for the region is being taken after demands of the same made by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

In the letter written on Friday, Chouhan stressed that instead of interfering in state affairs, the central government should provide financial assistance.

He added that the state government has been demanding a special package for the development of the region for some years now and it should be provided.

In the letter, Chouhan said that establishment of such an authority is against the federal structure of the country. He said the state government constituted a Bundelkhand Development Authority in May 2007, keeping in view the special requirements of the region.

“In such a case, the constitution of another authority for Bundelkhand region by central government would be merely duplication and it will entail unnecessary expenditure,” Chouhan said.

Reminding the prime minister of his request for a special package, Chouhan said 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 (Rs.40 billion) to Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

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