No effect of economic slowdown on Madhya Pradesh, claims minister

October 7th, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has asked the agriculture ministry to make available 41,000 tonnes of sugar to meet the shortfall during the festive season. "The Government of India should import sugar in order to make it available to the common people at fair price," Chouhan wrote in a letter to Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar late Tuesday.

September 24th, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the centre to include the state among those where the Basmati rice variety is grown, officials said here Thursday. In a letter written to union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Wednesday, Chouhan requested him to direct the Export Development Authority to include Madhya Pradesh in the areas producing Basmati rice.

September 20th, 2009 LUCKNOW/BHOPAL - The Uttar Pradesh government Sunday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the mysterious death of Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Madan Gopal Rusia, whose body was found on a railway track some distance from Agra railway station Sep 10. Roosia was the chief executive officer of the Bhopal Development Authority.

September 3rd, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Thursday expressed profound grief over the untimely demise of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.Rajashekhar Reddy, who was killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday. The country, including Andhra Pradesh, has lost an able administrator and a charismatic politician, Chouhan said in his message.

August 21st, 2009 PANNA - Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday rededicated the Panna Diamond Mine of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NDMC) in Madhya Pradesh. The mine had remained closed for about four years for environmental reasons.

August 1st, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the setting up of a separate Bundelkhand Development Authority by the central government, an official said Saturday. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has demanded such an authority be set up to spur development in the backward region that straddles Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

July 6th, 2009 BHOPAL - Describing the union budget as anti-farmer and disappointing for the common man, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Monday said the central government has not shown sincere intention to curb rising prices and counter economic slowdown. "This budget is going to compound the problems of the common man who is already facing the brunt of economic slowdown," Chouhan said in a statement.

June 30th, 2009 BHOPAL - Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka governor Rameshwar Thakur was sworn in here Tuesday as the 18th governor of Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Leader of Opposition in assembly Jamuna Devi, state Congress Committee president Suresh Pachouri, Madhya Pradesh cabinet ministers and other dignitaries were present on the occasion at Raj Bhavan.

June 30th, 2009 BHOPAL - Senior Congress leader Rameshwar Thakur took oath as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan today. Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice A K Pattnaik administered the oath of office to the Thakur.

June 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI J - The slowdown in the southwestern monsoon, since June7 has put the Government under pressure, as India is likely to face a major agricultural crisis if the present trend in the weather continues. The delayed monsoons may put the livelihood of millions of farmers at risk, as over 60 per cent of Indian agriculture is rain fed.

May 21st, 2009 LUCKNOW - A 25-year-old man was arrested early Thursday in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad district for alleged possession of nearly 2,000 detonators and other explosives, police said. 'The suspect was nabbed early Thursday in Allahabad district, from the Shankergarh area that borders Madhya Pradesh,' police inspector Arvind Jaiswal told IANS on phone.

March 31st, 2009 BHOPAL - Economic recession coupled with the 2008 assembly elections has left Madhya Pradesh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) short of funds. The Congress is not so worried because its resources come from its national headquarters.

March 11th, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Cooperatives Minister Gauri Shankar Bisen has been booked for alleged violation of the model code of conduct. The minister had allegedly distributed watches to journalists and party workers at a programme in Seoni district last week.

February 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The chief ministers of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir Thursday said the industry should play more 'proactive' role and join in the government's efforts to tackle the global economic slowdown, which could threaten millions of jobs in the country. Speaking at the 81st annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the industry should 'help the government's efforts to ensure that the current economic crisis did not lead to loss of employment in the country'.

February 10th, 2009 BHOPAL - Candidates from the entire country would now be eligible to appear for examinations conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Public service Commission (MPPSC) or other bodies for state government jobs, an official source said Wednesday. The state cabinet Tuesday decided that passing higher secondary or graduation from Madhya Pradesh would not be a criteria for recruitment through the MPPSC.