Kamal Nath govt’s next cabinet meeting in Jabalpur to pacify 60-year-old grievance

BHOPAL: Kamal Nath government’s next cabinet meeting will be held in Jabalpur and not here at the Vallabh Bhavan state secretariat. On Saturday, council of ministers headed by chief minister Nath will hold a cabinet meeting in Jabalpur with the intention of pacifying a six decade-old grievance of the city. People of Jabalpur still feel betrayed because Bhopal was made the state capital when Madhya Pradesh was born on November 1, 1956.
Minister for law PC Sharma said, “There was a demand from the people of Jabalpur that the government should focus its attention on this city known as the cultural valley of the state.” Demand for the government to hold at least one cabinet meeting in Jabalpur was made last month by Congress Rajya Sabha MP and eminent lawyer from the city Vivek Tankha.
Former state Congress general secretary Alok Chansoria told TOI, “Chief minister Kamal Nath belongs to the Mahakaushal region and Jabalpur is the centre of it. People of Jabalpur have been feeling cheated and betrayed that the city was not made the state capital and high court was given only as a compensation.”
Less than two months before the Lok Sabha elections, a cabinet meeting being shifted to Jabalpur must have some political message. The city with some adjoining rural areas is also the Lok Sabha constituency of state BJP chief Rakesh Singh who has been representing the seat for three terms in Parliament from 2004. For the first time, Mahakaushal which stretches across 36 assembly seats and eight districts from Chhindwara to Katni is in political focus with chief minister Kamal Nath and Rakesh Singh both hailing from the region.
“The government wants to develop this area, give a new direction to Jabalpur,” cabinet minister PC Sharma explained. “Having the cabinet there, our ministers will also hold talks with people and the government will get feedback on what people want,” he added.
State Congress leaders said that Vivek Tankha, who could be fielded from the city against Rakesh Singh had a telephonic conversation with chief minister Nath after which it was decided to have the cabinet meeting there on February 26. But the schedule was preponed because the budget session of assembly starts from February 18.
“People of Jabalpur have always felt the city was neglected even though the High Court is situated there along with many educational institutions and government offices,” said state Congress media committee chairperson Shobha Oza. “The cabinet meeting in Jabalpur is to send a message that the city is very much in the conscience of this government,” she said.
Minister for energy Priyavrat Singh who is also minister-in-charge of Jabalpur will reach the city on Thursday morning and take a meeting with government officials. “Cabinet is likely to approve a number of developmental projects for Mahakaushal region and Jabalpur city in particular,” a state Congress leader said. After the cabinet, chief minister Nath will address a public meeting where he might announce infrastructure developmental projects for the city.
Returning to power after 15 years, the Congress is focusing on agriculture to tap rural voters for upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party is, however, still not confident about the four urban constituencies which it has been repeatedly losing to the BJP. Bhopal and Indore were last won by the Congress on 1985, Gwalior was last won in 2004 by Ramsevak Singh and Jabalpur was last won by Congress in 1991 by Shrawan Kumar Patel.