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JMM demands separate rly. zone for Jharkhand

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 14. A new dimension to the ongoing controversy over the bifurcation of Eastern Railway was added today with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha demanding creation of a separate zone in Dhanbad and threatening to launch an agitation in support of the move.

The JMM chief, Shibu Soren, who wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, told correspondents here that the nascent State of Jharkhand should get the separate zone.

He said that Jharkhand, being rich in minerals, generated resources for the railways with Dhanbad accounting for Rs. 3,200 crores, Chakradharpur Rs. 1,100 crores, Adra Rs. 2,800 crores and Asansol Rs. 725 crores, which was more than what Bilaspur has. Bilaspur has been notified as a new zone.

"If our demand is not realised, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will be compelled to launch a massive public protest and sustained agitational programme," Mr. Soren said.

Dhanbad, which was under the Eastern Railway, has been added to the newly-created East Central zone with headquarters at Hajipur. The JMM's demand could upset the zonal reorganisation plan, which is already in a tangle, following stiff opposition from West Bengal and a counter-move from Bihar.

Meanwhile, Mr. Soren also threatened to launch a stir to remove the present BJP-led coalition Government of Jharkhand. Expressing unhappiness over the manner in which the Chief Minister, Babulal Marandi, was running the affairs of the State, Mr. Soren alleged that the surplus budget for building infrastructure and social welfare projects, including supply of drinking water, was not being put to proper use. The JMM has 12 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly and hopes to join hands with some dissident BJP MLAs as well as coalition partners.

Mr. Soren had recently trounced the BJP nominee in the Dumka Lok Sabha byelection for a seat vacated by Mr. Marandi.

The JMM attempt to do an encore in the Rajya Sabha byelection last week came a cropper.

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