Date:02/08/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/08/02/stories/2002080203421100.htm

National

Sonia convenes party CMs' meet

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 1. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, has convened a meeting of all her party Chief Ministers on Sunday to take stock of the drought situation.

The meeting has been convened to discuss the situation in the 13 States affected by drought in the hope of evolving a coordinated strategy. In June— anticipating a drought this year given the pattern of the past couple of years — Ms. Gandhi had written to these Chief Ministers asking them to set up task forces. About a fortnight ago, the Congress had urged the Government to come out with a White Paper on the drought situation and set up a National Task Force to address the problem.