A reserve battalion should be raised in Madhya Pradesh. This was urged by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Monday. He was accompanied by Union labour Minister and MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior lok Sabha constituency Narendra Singh Tomar.
Chouhan said that 208th Cobra Battalion was deployed to eradicate Naxalism in Madhya Pradesh, which has been withdrawn now. He urged the Home Minister to raise a new reserve battalion in Madhya Pradesh since the State needs it. Taking this positively, Rajnath Singh assured Chouhan and Tomar of every possible cooperation.
Referring to increase in agriculture growth rate in Madhya Pradesh and bonus given to farmers, the Chief Minister said that bonus has promoted agriculture production and enthused farmers of Madhya Pradesh are contributing in increasing national agriculture production. It may be mentioned that Madhya Pradesh has been registering 20 per cent agriculture growth rate consecutively for last three years.
Referring to problems of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Minister said that excessive rains and hailstorm caused widespread loss to soybean crops in Madhya Pradesh in year 2013.
Besides, crops of 31.46 lakh farmers in 49 out of 51 districts of the State were damaged again by excessive rain and hailstorm in February-March 2014. He informed Union Home Minister that the State Government distributed relief worth Rs2,150 crore to farmers from its own resources, which was deposited directly in farmers’ bank accounts. He urged the Union Home Minister get sanctioned this relief in the interest of State’s farmers.