MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, Oct 29: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday declared drought in most parts of the state and sanctioned Rs 1,200 crore for more than 30 lakh affected farmer families with each family getting an immediate relief of Rs 3,500.
“In the review meeting of Jharkhand State Disaster Management Authority regarding drought, it was decided to declare 226 blocks of 22 districts of the state as drought affected. The state government will provide an advance relief amount of Rs 3,500 per family to the affected farmer families of the above blocks,” Soren said in a tweet.
The Chief Minister’s secretariat informed that the discussions were held on the drought assessment report prepared by the state agriculture department. Except for two districts of Simdega and East Singhbhum, all 22 districts have been identified as drought-hit.
Jharkhand has 24 districts with 260 blocks in all, and 226 of these blocks in 22 districts were impacted by drought.
“In such a situation, it is the moral responsibility of the state government to provide immediate drought relief to the affected farmer families. The Chief Minister said that more than 30 lakh farmer families of the state are in the grip of drought who will get the benefit of it. The state government will spend about Rs 1,200 crore in providing drought relief funds,” the secretariat said in a statement.
Soren directed the officers that soon after preparing a consolidated report based on the assessment of the drought situation in the state, the demand for drought relief would be sent to the central government along with the recommendation.
The hybrid (physical and online) meeting was attended by Disaster Management Minister Banna Gupta, Agriculture Minister Badal, Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh, Development Commissioner Arun Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary Finance Department Ajay Kumar Singh, Secretary to Chief Minister Vinay Kumar Choubey, Secretary Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Department Himani Pandey, Secretary Disaster Management Department Amitabh Kaushal, Secretary Agriculture Department Abu Bakr Siddikh, Secretary Water Resources Department Prashant Kumar, Secretary School Education and Literacy Department K Ravi Kumar , Agriculture Director Nisha Oraon, Director Social Welfare Department Chhavi Ranjan and other officers.
