The Hindu : Front Page : Manmohan will focus on drought

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Saturday, Aug 15, 2009
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Manmohan will focus on drought

Gargi Parsai

I-Day address expected to assure citizens on relief steps

States urged to help check hoarding of essentials
Proposal to revive Open Market Sale Scheme for wheat

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s concern over drought, the rising prices of essential commodities and shortage of water in crucial reservoirs is expected to be reflected in his Independence Day address to the nation on Saturday.

Dr. Singh will seek to assure people of the steps being taken to tackle the situation. Three high-power meetings are lined up between the Centre and the State governments in the next week to work in tandem. The States are being requested to ensure that there is no hoarding of essentials, that the Public Distribution System is strengthened and that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme is implemented well.

An Empowered Group of Ministers has been formed to monitor the situation and take necessary decisions.

To deal with the rising prices of commodities, the Food Ministry has proposed revival of the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) for offloading certain quantity of wheat in the market.

Although the price of wheat has remained stable around Rs. 13 a kg in most retail markets in the last six months, the intention is to affect market sentiment. Likewise, the quota of quarterly releases for sugar would also be revised to increase availability during the festival season.

The Empowered Group of Ministers on Food will decide on the OMSS and on whether rice too should be offloaded in the market.

With kharif sowing hit by a deficiency of 29 per cent in the southwest monsoon, several States fear a significant decline in production of rice. Sugarcane and groundnut sowing has also been affected.

Drought has been declared in 177 districts in the country and at least four worst-affected States have sought additional Central assistance to provide relief to farmers.

The Bihar government has sought a special financial assistance of Rs. 23,000 crore.

The Andhra Pradesh government formed a Group of Ministers on Friday to study the situation in the State and take remedial measures. Fifteen farmers are reported to have committed suicide in the State in the last 40 days.

Poor water storage

Another major cause of concern is the low water level in crucial river basins. According to the Central Water Commission, in the week ended August 13, the storage in the Ganga basin was 36.91 per cent lower than the average of the last 10 years.

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