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Buddhadeb writes to PM on drought

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to give instructions for release of Central share of funds to enable the State to provide employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Mr. Bhattacharjee has said generation of employment has now become an imperative to protect the livelihoods of the rural populace hit hard by the deficit-monsoon.

“There are no jobs and demand for employment under MGNREGS has increased. However most districts are unable to make payments in absence of funds and there is a serious threat of social unrest in the drought-affected areas,” he said in his letter sent on Tuesday.

Altogether 11 districts in West Bengal have been marked out as drought-affected and agricultural activities on nearly a quarter of the area under cultivation in the kharif season have become uncertain. Most of these districts which suffered from a deficit-rainfall are located in the State's rice-growing areas, the letter said.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said as against Rs. 1400 crore pending with the Centre as its share in MGNREGS, just Rs.170 crore has been released due to non-reconciliation of fund spends. on the website.

Asks for experts

In a separate communication to the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Mr. Bhattacharjee urged him to send as quickly as possible a team of experts to assess the State's drought situation and suggest measures to protect the employment and agriculture of the small and marginal farmers as well as the landless farmers and the share-croppers.

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