Radha Mohan Singh asks drought affected states to submit memorandum to seek relief

NEW DELHI: Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has asked drought affected states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to submit a memorandum to the Centre for assistance at the earliest.

The minister asked the states to immediately intimate the number of drought affected districts and whether drought has been declared in these areas.

In a press statement, Singh said that the states have also been asked to submit the financial memorandum for assistance from the National Drought Relief Fund. “On the receipt of this information, Centre’s team will visit states to take stock of the situation and assess the assistance required,” he said.

This year’s monsoon rainfall was 14% below average during June-September, a rare instance of the vital weather system failing for the second consecutive year. The monsoon delivered subnormal rainfall in most parts of northern and western India, although farmers in Punjab and Haryana had access to canal irrigation, which helped the crops.

The worst-hit regions were Marathwada and Uttar Pradesh, where rainfall was 40-50% below average.

So far the Centre has received memorandum for assistance for drought relief from Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Central teams have visited three states and are currently on tour of Maharashtra for assessing quantum of assistance required by the state.