Mayawati seeks creation of separate Poorvanchal

After demanding creation of separate Bundelkhand and Paschimanchal states, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday shot off a second letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking carving out of 'Poorvanchal,' comprising eastern parts of the state.

"The CM has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to give Centre's permission for creation of a separate Poorvanchal state and expediting the constitutional procedure in that regard," Additional Cabinet Secretary Vijay Shanker Pandey told mediapersons in Lucknow.

Favouring carving out of smaller states, Mayawati had on Friday written to Singh seeking the Centre's consent for the creation of separate states of Bundelkhand and western Uttar Pradesh on the lines of demand for a Telangana state.

The state government had earlier through a letter sent in March last year had apprised the Centre of its clear opinion on carving out a separate Poorvanchal state, Pandey said.

"The government had also expressed its clear opinion on this issue in the state assembly on October 31, 2007. Once the permission is received, the state government will get a resolution for Poorvanchal state passed in the assembly and forward it to the Centre," he said.

Pandey said that the chief minister in her letter has said that creation of Poorvanchal was necessary for better administrative management and keeping in mind the expectations and aspirations of the local populace.

"The CM has repeatedly stated that she was in favour of smaller states and supports creation of a separate Poorvanchal state," he said.

The additional cabinet secretary said Mayawati in her letter pointed out that Poorvanchal region of UP was very backward socially and economically, which resulted in poverty.

"To remove regional imbalance and to accelerate development of the state, incorporating the needs of Poorvanchal region, the state government had earlier forwarded a proposal to the Centre requesting it to sanction a special package of Rs 80,000 crore," he said.

Pandey said that Mayawati in her letter also requested Singh to get the required financial assistance sanctioned at the earliest. "It is not possible to meet the development demands of the state from internal resources, therefore a special package had been demanded," he said.

On December 11, Mayawati had sought the Centre's consent for the creation of separate states of Bundelkhand and Paschimanchal. "I have renewed the demand for smaller states through a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give consent to UP as it has given to Andhra Pradesh for setting up a separate Telangana state," Mayawati had told mediapersons.