Other States - West Bengal   

More money for drought-hit Bengal districts

Kolkata: The West Bengal Government on Friday geared up to tackle the situation in the 11 drought-hit districts hit by cancelling leave of certain department staff and more than doubling the allocation that it had announced on Monday.

Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta announced that Rs.115 crore was being allocated to help farmers take up alternate crops. The State Government has already sanctioned Rs.50 crore for digging new deep tube-wells and repairing old ones. The agriculture department has also sanctioned Rs.15 crore for procurement of seeds for alternate crops which are less water-dependent.

Central Agricultural Commissioner G. Singh during his visit to the State on Thursday had emphasised the need for propagating alternate crops, saying that a Central team of agri-scientists would arrive shortly to conduct soil tests in the affected districts and also to distribute seeds.

Dr. Asim Dasgupta said that leave was being cancelled for employees working in the departments of minor irrigation, panchayats, disaster management and power in the affected districts. “They would be able to take leave only for emergencies and that too after getting a sanction from the Chief Secretary.”

The Finance Minister said the Chief Minister would also visit the affected areas. He said while the affected districts have had some rain over the past two days, it was still deficient up to 30 per cent. Almost all the South Bengal districts barring Purba Medinipur along with Birbhum, Bankura, Malda and Bardhaman have been declared drought-hit. Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Anisur Rahman said about Rs.170 crore has been received from the Centre towards the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the 100-days job scheme in the affected districts. “We have received assurance on disbursement of another Rs.200 crore,” he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

CEC confident of free and fair polls in West Bengal
More money for drought-hit Bengal districts
Maoists loot arms from villagers
Man trampled to death by elephant
West Bengal may move High Court

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu