New Delhi, August 17: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet and address the chief ministers on drought and price rise in New Delhi on Monday. The other agenda of the meeting is internal security.
The Prime Minister while addressing the concerns with all state chief ministers on the lack of rainfall and the spectre of drought will also ask them to help the Centre formulate a concrete course of action.
While drought-like situation in many states will be the main focus, the rising terror incidents and the threat of Naxalism looming large across many states has ensured that internal security has become the biggest worry for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.
Sources say that Singh will have an hour long address on Naxalism, besides a discussion on lack of police preparedness, lack of police training, police modernisation and intelligence gathering.
Sources even say that the Prime Minister is particularly disturbed about two states. The states are Uttar Pradesh where the state is still using Second World War equipments and Arunachal Pradesh which has no equipments and firearms.
Govt to focus on rabi crops to counter drought
Special group to monitor drought situation
Govt wants MPLAD funds to be used for drought
The meeting will also measure to tackle the crisis of drought. Singh is likely to ask the states to coordinate with the Centre on cracking down on hoarders and blackmarketers, to activate the public distribution system, distressed states to come out with a plan to tackle drought, how to prepare for Rabi crop and also a contingency plan to include requirement for seeds, water and diesel.
“The country has recorded 29 per cent deficit in rainfall. Northwest India is the worst affected. Major agricultural states like Punjab, Haryana UP and Bihar have been affected,” admits Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
Chief ministers from states like Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Bihar have already expressed their reluctance to attend the crucial meeting but after having got a majority in the Lok Sabha election, UPA Government realises that crucial issues dealing with the aam admi can unseat the party.
Therefore, the Prime Minister is in no mood to placate any state but dictate terms irrespective of petty politicking.
A separate session has been earmarked for discussion on issues related to Left-wing extremism, where chief minister from seven Naxal-affected states will intera
–Agencies