Madhya Pradesh will provide rice to poor people at the rate of one rupee per kg from 1st January 2014. This was ordered by Shivraj Singh Chouhan immediately after taking over as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the third time in row today.

Governor Ramnaresh Yadav administered the oath of office and secrecy to him at Jambooree Maidan in Bhopal. AIR correspondent reports that Mr. Chouhan took the oath alone.

Several senior BJP leaders including L.K. Advani, Party President Rajnath Singh, party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Goa and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thakre and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu attended the oath taking ceremony. Religious leaders of different communities were also present on this occasion to give their blessings to Mr. Chouhan.

After oath taking ceremony, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan presented his development agenda for the state. He issued orders to give rice to poor people at the rate of one rupee per kg from 1st January 2014 and to set up a commission to address the problems of middle class from the stage.

The oath taking ceremony was different from the traditional swearing in ceremonies as perhaps for the first time chief minister addressed the gathering just after taking the oath while noted singers Kailash Kher and Anoop Jalota gave musical presentations before and after the ceremony.