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Over 15,000 villages declared scarcity-hit

Special Correspondent

Rajasthan to launch drought relief works in the villages spread across 22 districts in the State

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government on Tuesday declared 15,778 villages in 22 districts across the State as scarcity-hit and announced that drought relief works would be launched in these villages in the first week of January. The State Government will also submit a memorandum to the Centre seeking financial assistance for the drought-affected areas.

The Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, presiding over a meeting of the Disaster Management Authority at the State Secretariat here, noted that kharif crops had been damaged to a significant extent due to late and insufficient rains during this year's monsoon. The "Girdavari'' (crop assessment) report has revealed that 75 to 100 per cent crops were destroyed in 6,877 villages and 50 to 74 per cent in 8,901 villages.

The 10 districts in the State where no village was found scarcity-hit are Bharatpur, Bundi, Dausa, Dholpur, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Karoli, Kota, Sawai Madhopur and Tonk. Ms. Raje said the assets of permanent nature would be constructed in the rural areas through the drought relief works.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the funds available in the schemes run by the Rural Development and other related departments would be utilised as the material component, while the allocation of money in the drought relief head would be dovetailed as the labour component. This, she said, would help in planning for permanent assets.

Ms. Raje said the tasks relating to utilisation of water, construction of reservoirs and making available sprinkler sets for plantation would be taken up as part of the relief works. The farmers will be given grants under the National Horticulture Mission for planting the fruit-bearing trees.

The Disaster Management Authority also decided that the pending proposals for constructing new channels for irrigation and ground water recharge -- even in the wells situated at private farms -- would be included in the relief works to provide timely benefit to the drought-afflicted rural population.

Among others, the Relief Minister, Kirorilal Meena, Agriculture Minister, Prabhulal Saini, Irrigation Minister, Sanwarlal Jat, Chief Secretary, Anil Vaish, and senior officials of the Finance, Rural Development and Industries Departments attended the meeting.

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