Uttar Pradesh government demands over Rs 6100 crore aid for drought-hit areas

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government today demanded a package of Rs 6138.42 crore for 44 drought-hit districts of the state.

"We have demanded a package of Rs 6138.42 crores from the Centre at a meeting with Joint Secretary Agriculture, Utpal Kumar Singh, who led a team of officers who are here to analyse the situation," Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said.

The team dispatched by the Centre, will visit the districts to know the ground reality and will hold a meeting with state officials on September 27.

Earlier on September 16, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had declared 44 districts as drought hit and suspended all revenue realisation in these districts.

These districts had witnessed less than 50 per cent of normal rains.

Among the drought-hit districts are Kanpur, Unnao, Amethi, Muzaffarnagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Badaun, Kannauj, Rampur, Bareilly, Etawah, Firozabad, Mainpuri besides others.