CONTINGENCY ASSISTANCE TO DROUGHT
AFFECTED STATES
The High Level Committee
headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Shri L.K.Advani, today approved
financial assistance of Rs.1648.77 crore from the National Calamity
Contingency Fund (NCCF) to 10 drought affected states. The Task
Force on Drought, also headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, approved
additional allocation of foodgrains for some drought affected
states. These decisions were taken at the meeting of the two bodies
here today.
Announcing the decisions,
the Agriculture Minister, Shri Ajit Singh said Rajasthan will
get Rs.682.35 crore from the NCCF while Tamil Nadu gets Rs.258.44
crore, Andhra Pradesh – Rs.224.43 crore, Gujarat – Rs.150.29 crore,
Madhya Pradesh – Rs.75.99 crore, Chhatisgarh – Rs.61.89 crore,
Karnataka – Rs.61.63 crore, Orissa – Rs.61.58 crore, Maharashtra
– Rs.46.50 crore and Himachal Pradesh gets Rs.25.67 crore. Shri
Ajit Singh said this assistance from NCCF could be utilised till
the end of June this year and the balances available with the
states under the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) will be adjusted against
today’s allocation under the NCCF. Out of the Rs.1648.77 crore
sanctioned for the states, Rs.503.13 crore will be spent on cattle
care, Rs.402.61 crore on employment generation, Rs.349.35 crore
on drinking water supply and Rs.393.68 crore on other drought
relief works.
Shri Ajit Singh informed
that an additional allocation of 11.60 lakh tonnes of foodgrains
has been made for four states for taking up drought relief works
during the next three months. Andhra Pradesh will get an additional
6.85 lakh tonnes of foodgrains, Madhya Pradesh – 1.33 lakh tonnes,
Karnataka – 1.25 lakh tonnes and Chhatisgarh will get 2.07 lakh
tonnes more. The Agriculture Minister said additional allocation
to these states are based on the reports of the central teams
and utilisation of foodgrains in the four states.
Deputy Chairman of
the Planning Commission, Shri K.C.Pant, Finance Minister, Shri
Jashwant Singh, Rural Development Minister, Shri Shanta Kumar,
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri
Sharad Yadav, Cabinet Secretary and the Secretaries of the Departments
of Finance, Expenditure, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
and other senior officials also attended today’s meetings.
