Drought situation: CM to seek early release of funds

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 27. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, will be going to Delhi on Saturday to personally prevail upon the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, for early release of Central funds to meet the grim drought situation in the State.

Mr. Naidu is expected to speak to the Prime Minister later today to apprise him of the situation and seek immediate release of funds. He asked the Telugu Desam MPs to raise the issue in Parliament. ``The Government of India has not released any further assistance. We are waiting for it. I will speak to the Prime Minister and meet him and the Agriculture Minister on September 1,'' he said after reviewing the drought situation with Collectors here on Monday.

He said the State Government had so far released Rs. 165.54 crores for drought relief works. On the `poor offtake' of rice under `Food for work' programme, he said it was not as brisk as one desired because of the preoccupation of district administration with the gram panchayat elections. ``We will ensure that rice reaches them all.''

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had met Mr. Vajpayee and other Central Ministers on August 9 and 10 to plead for release of Rs. 848 crores sought by the State Government to take up drought relief works. An immediate outcome of the visit was sanction of an additional three lakh tonnes of rice under the `Food for work' programme.

At today's video conference with Collectors, the Chief Minister painted a grim picture of the drought scenario. The rainfall received this season was mere 357 mm as against the normal rainfall of 488 mm while there was 32 per cent deficit in the area sown. Paddy was sown only in 14.43 lakh hectares as against the normal level of 27.71 lakh ha. Levels in major reservoirs continued to be low and inflows meagre, notwithstanding rain in August.

Fortunately, the incidence of gastroenteritis (GE) and malaria showed a downswing due to absence of rain. Malaria cases declined from 46,230 last year to 28,542 and the incidence of GE from 6718 cases to 1028. Deaths due to GE were down from 66 to 4.

As a matter of policy, the Chief Minister said that machines should not be used for drought relief works to the detriment of jobless farm workers; and coercive collection of dues should be stopped. Under the `Food for work' programme, labourers would be given 5 kg of rice plus Rs. 30. Upto 20 kg of rice would be given to all families at the rate of Rs. 6.40 per kg.

Mr. Naidu directed the officials to streamline and simplify procedures so that help reached farmers in time. ``They are fed up with procedures so much that they would rather forgo the benefits than suffer the hassles.''

It was brought to his notice that some Collectors were putting unreasonable conditions making it difficult for farmers to obtain seeds.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Next     : TRS chief to contest Siddipet byelection