Friday, Mar 12, 2004
Friday, Mar 12, 2004 |
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By Our Special Correspondent
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 11. The Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, today sent an urgent message to the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, seeking more aid for drought relief. The Chief Minister, in his message, said that the Rs. 49.04 crores and 11,000 tonnes of rice granted by the high power committee for drought relief was inadequate. He urged the Centre to review the matter. Mr. Antony recalled that the State had sought Rs.1,359 crores and two lakh tonnes of grains as aid. He said that in many places, people were going without drinking water. Drinking water was the fundamental right of the people and no Government could excuse itself from providing the same. The State Government was distributing drinking water and relief on a war-footing. Many farmers were in trouble because of crop loss. There was also the possibility of intensification of drought in the coming three months. In these circumstances, it was highly disappointing that the State got only a limited amount as drought relief. An official release said the Chief Minister had also written to the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, the Agriculture Minister, Rajnath Singh, and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, K. C. Pant, in this regard. Meanwhile, the Minister for Water Resources, T. M. Jacob, who discussed the drought situation with senior officials and engineers here today, directed them to make maximum quantity of water available on a war-footing. Priority should be accorded to drinking water supply and irrigation, in that order. The Minister said that 1,763 borewells and tubewells would be dug in areas facing water shortage. Water would be supplied through tankers and steps taken to deepen existing wells and other water sources. All lift irrigation schemes would be operationalised by repairing pumps and other facilities. Irrigation water from dams would be released according to a schedule. Mr. Jacob said that special committees headed by the Managing Director of Kerala Water Authority, T.R. Indira, and the Chief Engineer of Water Resources Department, T.K. Sasi, had been set up to oversee drinking water supply and irrigation respectively. The Secretary (Water Resources), Chief Engineers and others would visit the districts and hold discussions with the Collectors and assistant engineers on measures to be taken for the supply of water.
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