Bihar to declare 26 disticts as drought affected

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Bihar to declare 26 disticts as drought affected

Om Prakash Yadav

10 August, 2009

Bihar is suffering from two calamities - that of floods and drought. Nitish Kumar organised an all party meeting to deliberate on the issue as well as to decide when the drought will be made official

ALMOST ALL political parties attended the all party meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in Patna on Sunday. They unanimously resolved to provide support to the state government in view of the unprecedented drought like situation in at least 26 of 38 districts in the state.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Nitish Kumar said that a formal decision to declare the 26 affected districts as ‘drought affected districts’ would be taken on Tuesday, August 11. He also elaborated on the blue print prepared to fight the drought and mitigate the agony of the poor and farmers. 2-5 crore families would be provided relief. They will receive a quintal of food grains and Rs. 250 per family per month. He stressed the need to enhance the minimum wage to 200 days from existing 100 days under NREGS.

The District Magistrates of all the drought affected districts will assembling on Monday to discuss the modalities and modes of implementation of programmes and measures to fight the drought. Nitish Kumar is also likely to address the district officials. It has also been decided that the state government would place demand before the Union Government for grant and aid from Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) so that succour could be provided to the affected population. Apart from monetary help, the state government is also likely to demand 22.5 lakh tons of food grain from Union government.

Sources say that the situation in state is grim and only 12 districts have more than 70% sown areas of paddy. These districts are East and West Champaran, Sheohar, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Saharsa, Supaul, Purnea, Araria, and Khagaria. Thus except these districts, all 26 remaining districts are to be put up under drought affected districts. Bihar is, at present, facing twin natural calamities – floods in districts in North Bihar like Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul etc and drought in southern parts. This is the third consecutive year in a row that Bihar is subjected to natural calamities at such a huge scale.

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Ishteyaque

.Nitish Kumar and his government can do a lot to mitigate the flood and drought impacts by simply implementing the Nrega programmes in the state properly. And this does not need additional funds from the Centre. The demand for Central package for flood and drought effected regions is more than justified but the demand will be further strengthened if it comes with some commitment of the state government towards its people and their miseries.