By IANS
Ranchi : The Congress Thursday boycotted Jharkhand’s seventh foundation day ceremony despite being a ruling alliance partner and asked Chief Minister Madhu Koda to improve governance within 60 days.
Central minister and Congress secretary Ajay Maken used the occasion to lead a procession from the governor’s house to the chief minister’s house to submit an 18-point memorandum to Koda, an independent legislator, serving the ultimatum.
“We have given 60 days to Koda to improve the situation in the state,” Maken told reporters here. “We are boycotting the official function of the foundation day as we are not satisfied with the functioning of the state government.”
Maken blamed the government that also includes the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for “rampant corruption, worsening law and order situation and mismanagement of central funds”. These, he said, had been brought to the notice of Koda.
“The chief minister has assured us he will consider the points made in the memorandum seriously,” he added.
“We will review the condition in the state after 60 days,” Maken said. “It will be a statistical and physical verification.”
Accompanying Maken were four Congress MPs including central minister Subodh Kant Sahay and state Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-United also boycotted the official function. Both parties are happy over the rift in the ruling coalition.