New Delhi: The JMM on Friday appealed to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh to declare the whole of Jharkhand a
famine-hit state and demanded a special monetary package for
farmers.
A delegation comprising Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLAs and
MPs, led by its chief Shibu Soren, met the PM at his
Parliament Complex office and demanded that the entire state
be declared as famine-hit.
"Instead of the present 12 districts, we demanded that
the entire state be declared famine-hit," Soren told reporters
after the meeting.
He said since the state was under President`s rule, it
became all the more important for the Centre to "acknowledge"
the plight of the common man.
The Jharkhand Governor Advisory Council had on August 4
declared half of the 24 districts in the state as famine-hit.
"For the last two consecutive years, there has been
deficient rainfall in the state. The farmers and those working
as labourers in fields are suffering, therefore, we also
demanded a special package of Rs 15,000 crore from the Prime
Minister," he said.
PTI
