Uttar Pradesh Governor T V Rajeswar advocated strict action against district officers, holding them responsible for the death of people in the state due to starvation. On a two-day visit to Bundelkhand region to review the relief operations being conducted by various Government agencies, Rajeswar was at Banda on Tuesday. “Starvation deaths are a shame for any civilised society. In such cases, the responsibility should be fixed on the district magistrates and they should be held accountable,” said Rajeswar. He asked all district administrations to ensure at least 100 days of employment to the rural population under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).The Governor visited two villages under Banda tehsil and reviewed the progress of the programme and distribution of BPL cards and relief cheques among the affected farmers. Local Samajwadi Party MLA Vishambhar Prasad and Congress MLA Vivek Singh also met Rajeswar and submitted a memorandum demanding that loans taken by the drought-affected farmers be waived. They also demanded immediate cash compensation for the families of the farmers who had committed suicide due to debt and crop failure.On Wednesday, Union Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh will visit Lucknow to review the progress of the implementation of the NREGS in the state. Singh will preside over a meeting of the chief development officers of all 70 districts. His visit assumes significance after the Congress levelled allegations that NREGS benefits were not reaching the poor.
