Centre provide assistance to meet drought situation – Chief Secretary

Central team agrees with state’s assessment

The members of the Central Study Team held discussions with the Chief Secretary, Shri Rakesh Sahni and senior officers of the state government here today. They apprised the state government officers of the outcome of their extensive tour of the drought-hit areas of the state. The Central Study Team headed by the Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, Shri Pankaj Kumar gave its suggestions with regard to sowing of alternative crops, arrangements of drinking water and fodder and generation of employment in the affected areas to meet the drought situation in the state at the meeting. Principal Secretary, Shri Madan Mohan Upadhyay apprised the team of the present status of the drought in the state.
The Chief Secretary, Shri Rakesh Sahni apprised the Central Study Team of the damage caused to the Kharif crops due to delay in the arrival of monsoon, difficulties to be experienced in irrigation of forthcoming Rabi crops due to inadequate storage of water in the reservoirs and the adverse effects feared to be on the economy of the state due to fall in the generation of electricity. Shri Sahni said that the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan had in the recent past met the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and requested him to provide assistance amounting to Rs. 11 thousand 669 crore 68 lakh to meet the unprecedented drought situation in the state.
Shri Sahni said that the study team has taken stock of the drought situation holding face to face talks with the farmers on the spot itself by undertaking extensive tour of the severely affected divisions namely Sagar, Rewa, Shahdol, Chambal and Gwalior. He expressed the hope that the required funds would be made available to the state following the outcome of the assessment of the Central Study Team.
The Chief Secretary told the study team that the crops have suffered heavily in the drought affected regions specially in Bundelkhand due to paucity of rains. The region is presently reeling under severe drought conditions with the scarcity of drinking water and fodder. The Chief Secretary said that this time 50 percent crops have been damaged due to delay in the rains in the state. Crops of pulses have suffered heavy loss.
He pointed out that the recent rains are inadequate and the forthcoming Rabi crops would be hit badly due to non-storage of adequate water in the reservoirs of the state. The state would also be required to purchase electricity from outside the state at comparatively higher rates in the wake of power generation going down.
This would adversely affect the economy of the state. The Chief Secretary told the study team that in the prevailing circumstances it has become imminent that the benefits of new techniques and information reach the farmers. For this, the Union Agriculture Ministry should launch programmes on a massive scale, Shri Sahni suggested.
The team leader of the central study team, Shri Pankaj Kumar said that the members in three separate groups have assessed the situation undertaking extensive tour of the drought affected areas.
He said that the team members are in total agreement with the facts mentioned in the report on drought situation submitted by the state government to the centre. He said that due to delay in rains sowing of paddy crops has been affected badly.
At the same time, pulses and soyabean crops have suffered heavy loss. With the attack of caterpillar on soyabean crop, they are also feared to be affected badly. Hence, the state government should take care of protection of soyabean crop undertaking spray of pesticides on a large scale.
The team leader Shri Pankaj Kumar was all praise for the works carried out under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the state. He said that there has been a smooth implementation of the scheme in the state. Job cards of rural labourers have been prepared on a large scale.
The workers are well aware of the wages paid under the scheme. He said that employment oriented works should also be launched for small and marginal farmers under the new provisions of the NREGS. He also pressed the state government for effective implementation of Kapildhara sub-scheme.
He laid emphasis on better coordination between the Irrigation, Forest and Public Health Engineering Departments under the NREGS. Shri Kumar also underlined the need for taking alternative crops in the forthcoming Rabi season, providing assistance to the affected persons under various schemes through the Collectors in the affected districts, storage of foodgrains under the PDS in the drought affected areas and effective arrangements for its distribution. He assured that the Centre would provide necessary assistance for drinking water transportation in the affected regions of the state.
The Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner, Smt. Ranjana Chaudhary; Principal Secretary, Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Shri Indraneel Shankar Dani; Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Shri Ajay Tirki; Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development, Shri Raghav Chandra; Energy Secretary, Shri Sanjay Bandhopadhyay informed the central study team about the steps taken by their respective departments and necessary funds required to meet the drought situation in the state.
The members of the central study team who attended the meeting included Director, Central Water Commission, Shri S.K. Haldhar; Director, Union Rural Development Ministry, Shri Sanjay Kumar Rakesh; Under Secretary, Union Food and Public Distribution, Shri Lalit Chouhan; Technical Officer, Central Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Ministry, Shri G.K. Dev; Joint Director, Central Cotton Directorate, Shri S.M. Kothatkar; Additional Advisor, Central Drinking Water Supply Department, Shri R.N. Deshpandey; Deputy Advisor, Central Planning Commission, Dr. A.K. Tiwari; Assistant Director, Central Expenditure Department, Shri Mewaram and Assistant Advisor, Central Public Health Engineering Department, Shri S. Deendayalan.