40 districts in UP declared drought-hit

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today decided to declare 40 districts as drought hit and suspended all revenue realisation in these districts.

He also demanded Rs 6,061 crore package from the Centre for dealing with the natural calamity.

"Forty districts in the state witnessed less than 50 per cent of the normal rains due to which CM has declared them drought hit. Revenue realisation has been suspended in these districts till March 31, 2015," an official release issued here said.

"To deal with the drought, the state has demanded special package of Rs 6,061 crore from the Centre for giving subsidy to farmers and providing relief to them," it said.

The districts which have been declared drought hit included- Kanpur, Unnao, Amethi, Muzaffarnagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Badaun, Kannauj, Rampur, Bareilly, Etawah, Firozabad, Mainpuri besides others.

The district magistrates of the affected districts have been asked to carry out relie work in the respective areas.