Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with his Cabinet colleagues, today observed fast here against the Centre's “apathy” towards rain-hit farmers in the state.
The four-hour fast was part of the statewide bandh call till 2 PM, given by the BJP in protest against Centre's “indifferent” attitude towards farmers hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorm in parts of the state recently.
Chouhan appealed to Centre to provide a special package of Rs 5,000 crore for Madhya Pradesh to deal with the crisis. “Our entire Cabinet would go to Delhi to apprise the Union government about the current situation,” the chief minister said in his address.
“We have already earmarked Rs 2000 crore for providing relief to farmers and this is just the beginning...We will take all possible measures to provide aid to affected farmers,” Chouhan said, adding that various organisations and people have donated Rs 7.42 crore for the cause of farmers during the sit-in protest held at a ground near New Market are.
