Jamshedpur, Sept. 4: The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) today demanded extension of the food-for-work programme in the districts after the Arjun Munda government declared the state drought-affected.

The party demanded that the government take up the matter with the Centre and ensure that the programme is extended to all 22 districts of Jharkhand.

At present, the programme is implemented in only 14 districts. The CPI(ML) threatened to launch an agitation if the government failed to get the programme implemented at the earliest.

The party?s central committee member, Swapan Mukherjee, who was here to attend a trade union convention, said the programme will help prevent mass migration and starvation deaths in the wake of the situation arising out of the drought-like conditions.

The convention?s objective was to mobilise support for the Left-sponsored all-India industrial strike on September 29.

Mukherjee pointed out that because of drought, there will be mass migration of people from rural to urban centres as well as other states. In the absence of employment opportunities, people will seek livelihood in other places.

?If proper and immediate attention is not paid to this, there will be a large number of starvation deaths. The only way to prevent the exodus of the rural population in the event of a drought is by giving them jobs and food in this state,? he said.

The Centre-sponsored food-for-work programme, which was introduced last year, is implemented in 14 districts of the state, including Latehar, Lohardaga, Chatra, Garhwa, Gumla, Godda, Palamau, Sahebganj, West Singhbhum, Jamtara, Dumka and Pakur.

Of the 14 districts, only two ? Latehar and Lohardaga ? have shown more than 60 per cent utilisation of the central allotment. As a result, they are eligible for the second allotment under the programme.