Addressing a media conference, UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi demanded that Mayawati issue a White Paper on Bundelkhand.

Mayawati’s claim that the Centre had not provided funds was a “blatant lie”, she said. All drought relief works undertaken in Bundelkhand are from the Central Relief Fund. The Inter-Ministerial Central Team in its report mentioned this.

The team, formed by the agriculture ministry on direction of the Prime Minister, had visited Bundelkhand and held meetings with the state government officials.

In fact, the laxity of the state government is made clear by the fact that it has not sought any additional fund for the area. “While the Madhya Pradesh government has sought money from the Central Calamity Contingency Fund, the UP government has so far failed to demand any additional fund,” she said.

She told reporters that the Inter-Ministrial Committee headed by the member of the Planning Commission, V K Chaturvedi, has toured Bundelkhand twice. “As per their report, the UP government has accepted that the farmers are being given Rs 1,000 under the Pulses Production Policy, with the help of National Development schemes for Farmers.”

Talking about the UP government's demand for a special package of Rs 10,000 crore, she said the Centre can give it under different schemes including National Agriculture Development Schemes. But “its compulsory requirement is the formulation of district agriculture development schemes. But the UP government has so far not constituted a district development committee in Bundelkhand,” she said.

Referring to Mayawati's statement regarding threat to her life, Joshi said the CM is trying to raise an emotive issue as her political base has started shrinking. “She is unable to keep her vote bank intact in the present situation.”