Raghubar directs officials to make advance planning for drought areas

Ranchi (By our correspondent): Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das asked the officials to make advance planning for drought-hit
areas of the state and ensure that farmers are able to get the benefit of the crop insurance scheme as soon as possible.

Chairing a review meeting over the condition of drought in the state he asked the department to send their report within fixed timeline and said that awareness should be created among the people regarding the works which are being done by the state government in the drought-hit areas so that the farmers and the people of the area are not impacted by drought.

Mr Das said that for Rabbi crops the seeds should be given on 90 percent subsidy while from the disaster management fund immediately Rs 100 crore should be released to undertake different types of relief operations. Mr Das said that all the DCs should complete the task of identification of the areas hit by drought by November 10 and said that all the departments should also submit their financial demands for the works to be done by the respective departments in the drought hit areas as the state government has to send a detail report to the central government by November 21 over the condition of drought in the state.

The Chief Minister stressed on the need that at no cost there should be lack of food in the drought hit areas. He said that Rs 10000 has been sent in the bank account of all the mukhiyas of the state so that in case any person in their area faces lack of food or goes hungry than food grains can be purchased from the market and provided to the person concerned and people across the state should be made aware of this fact. 

He said that any old person who does not have a ration card they can be provided 10 kilograms of foodgrains under the Annapurna Yojana and soon a camp will be organised in the state to make people aware in this regard. The Chief Minister instructed to set up a control room at the district level to monitor the drought situation and said that once the farmers raise their problems than immediately aid should be provided to him. Moreover, the Kissan Call center should also remain functional and said that in case farmers have not received crop insurance for the last year than they could do inform and they would be provided insurance money. 

Mr Das also directed that after an area has been declared drought hit than no type of lloanwhether related to cooperative revenue cess irrigation power tarrif be collected from them till March 2019 and even the bankers should be issued instructions in this regard. In the drought hit areas to ensure that there is no dearth of drinking water facility immediate steps should be taken and under Mnrega instead of 100-day provisions jobs should be provided for 150 days and asked the agriculture department to undertake pond construction in these areas on a priority basis. 

He said adequate fodder stock should be maintained and at block level camps should be organised ro distribute fooder among the farmers for their cattle while at panchayat level camps by animal doctors and medicines should be held and presence of ANM should be ensured in all healthcare and sub-health centers. The Chief Minister said that in all villages of drought areas funds worth Rs 5  lakh be immediately sent in the account of Gram Vikas Samiti and Adivasi Vikas Samiti and asked all departments to work with advance planning within a fixed timeline.

In the meeting, agriculture minister Randhir Singh said that the department will work in the interest of the farmers and make sure that they do not face any problems. Those present in the meeting included Chief Secretary Sudhir Tripathi Development Commissioner D K Tiwari Additional Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh Principal Secretary Home SKG Rahate Principal Secretary of Chief Minister Sunil
Kumar Barnwal and officials of various other departments.