Friday, September 1 2006 14:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a move aimed at providing relief to farmers in regions which saw a spate of suicides, PCC Presidents of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala today made a strong plea to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an early implementation of his package to them.

A delegation of Congress leaders which also included AICC General Secretaries Digvijay Singh and Margaret Alva told the Prime Minister that there was need for specifying the details of his package announced during his visit to Vidarbha region recently.

The plea by PCC chiefs Prabha Rau (Maharashtra), Kesava Rao (AP), Mallikarjun Kharge (Karnataka) and Ramesh Chennithala (Kerala) came at a time when suicides by farmers continued unabated in Vidarbha while the political temperature started hotting up in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region which has witnessed most of the suicides.

The Prime Minister's package was for 31 districts in these states including 16 of AP, six each of Maharashtra and Karnataka and three of Kerala.

The meeting saw Kesava Rao also seeking a separate package for Telangana for its overall development.

The Prime Minister has asked the Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan to monitor the situation and take remedial measures.

While Maharashtra and AP have witnessed heavy rains, Karnataka has been suffering from floods and drought with many areas hit hard by waters flowing from Maharashtra reservoirs.