RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.1: The decision on the declaration of Jharkhand as a ‘drought-hit state’ is expected after August 15.
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Badal Patralekh gave an indication to this effect while responding on behalf of the government during a special discussion in the house on drought.
Earlier, the minister expressed his solidarity with all those legislators who participated in the discussion and expressed their concern over the less rainfall in the state.
The minister said that the government is also worried about this and the issue has been discussed with the chief minister in the last cabinet meeting. “This is not the first time a situation of drought has come, earlier also Jharkhand remained in the grip of drought and famine,” he added.
The chief minister and the disaster management department have been apprised of the situation by the agriculture department, the minister further said.
Informing the house about the ground reality he said so far, crop cover has been done on 6,89,000 hectares while the cultivable land in the state is 27 lakh hectares. So, he said, the state has achieved 35 per cent of the target so far. Rainfall is less than 50 per cent, he said.
The minister said that the situation is not good and the government is soon going to hold a meeting under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister.
“The government is also working on an alternate cropping scheme. Arrangements are being made for five lakh new ration cards. ‘Didi Kitchen’ will be started again if needed. The government will decide after assessing the situation on drought. Although the decision on drought is taken in the month of October, but in special circumstances, drought is also announced in the month of August,” the minister said.
Earlier, JMM MLA Lobin Hembrom intervened and said that the minister’s reply was chubby. He said that discussions are taking place in the house on drought and famine and ministers are not giving a proper reply. The JMM legislator said that farmers are migrating and villages are being deserted. He said that it is a challenge before the legislators to talk to villagers in the situation as farmers are expecting a concrete reply to tackle the correct situation and want some work for their livelihood.
