Central funds, food grains for drought-hit States

NEW DELHI, JAN. 21. A three-member high-level committee has decided to allocate 4.95 lakh tonnes of food grains free of cost and funds worth Rs. 434 crores to 11 States affected by flood and drought for carrying out `food for work' programme under the national calamity contingency fund.

The committee comprising the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, the Agriculture Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar, and the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr. K.C. Pant, also decided to provide 1.7 lakh tonnes of `feed grade' food grains for cattle and free transportation of water and fodder by the Railways to drought-affected States.

West Bengal will receive Rs. 103.25 crores followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan with Rs. 85 crores each while the new State of Chattisgarh will receive Rs. 40 crores in the current financial year. Orissa and Madhya Pradesh will get Rs. 35 crores each, followed by Bihar with Rs. 29.67 crores and Andhra Pradesh Rs. 10 crores. Himachal Pradesh will get Rs. 8.29 crores followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Rs. two crores and Meghalaya, Rs. one crore.

The meeting which took place on January 20, also noted that drought relief measures would continue in the drought affected States till next June/July and a decision on further assistance would be taken only after fresh availability of funds, an official release said.

- UNI

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