AJIT SINGH CALLS URGENT MEETING
OF THE AGRICULTURE AND RELIEF MINISTERS
The Union Minister of Agriculture,
Shri Ajit Singh has called a meeting of the Agriculture and Relief
Ministers of 11 states which are likely to be affected due to
long dry spell in these states. During the meeting, to be held
here on Wednesday the 24th July, 2002, the State Governments
are to inform about the contingency arrangements they have made
and the assistance they would require.
The Central Government has identified
certain action points which would be acted upon after consultation
with these State Governments to effectively deal with the situation.
These action points relate to the review of the status of public
distribution system in the affected states as well as arrangements
of quick movements of food grains to the affected places, setting
up of the fodder information centers within the Central Animal
Husbandry Department and issuing guidelines about maintenance
of cattle camps, updating of the health contingency plan and conveying
the same to the states etc.
The states which have been invited
to this conference are Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Besides officials of the Union Agriculture
Ministry, officials of the Department of Expenditure, Food, Rural
Development, Deptt. Of Drinking Water, Water Resources, Power,
Child & Women Development and Meteorology will also participate
in this one-day meeting.
