BackUnion government directs Uttar Pradesh to step up drought relief
The action comes close on the heels of the Supreme Court rapping both the Union government and Uttar Pradesh a few days ago
Premium
New Delhi: The government has ordered a high-level review to take stock of drought relief operations in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The first review meeting was held on Saturday in the prime minister’s office (PMO) where the government took stock of the situation in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
The action comes close on the heels of the Supreme Court rapping both the centre and states a few days ago.
The PMO meeting directed the Uttar Pradesh government to deposit relief money to affected farmers in a week. The centre had approved ₹ 1,304 for the state from the National Disaster Relief Fund in early January.
“The state government would disburse the relief amount directly into the bank accounts of farmers within a week," a PMO release said, adding that the state will also send a memorandum to the centre for financial assistance due to crop losses in the ongoing rabi season.
As many as 11 states declared a drought during the kharif season of 2015, the second consecutive deficit monsoon year for the entire country.
While Uttar Pradesh declared a drought in November last year, Gujarat declared a drought in April, five months after the kharif season ended. States such as Haryana and Bihar have not yet declared a drought and came under fire from the Supreme Court last week.
“This is not a picnic, it’s about people’s lives," the court told states in a hearing on Thursday.
The court’s strong observations came during a hearing on a public interest litigation filed by Swaraj Abhiyan, a non-profit group, seeking relief for drought-hit regions. The plea sought timely disbursement of crop loans, drought relief, help in procurement of subsidized cattle fodder and the formulation of an integrated water policy.
In Saturday’s review, the UP chief secretary said that a contingency plan is ready to address the drinking water situation in Banda, Mahoba and Chitrakoot districts of Bundelkhand.
Further, the centre directed the state to step up work under the rural employment guarantee scheme. The centre has already allowed Uttar Pradesh to increase man days under the scheme from 100 to 150 days (alongside other drought-hit areas), the PMO said, adding that the “state government will ensure distribution of ₹ 700 crore released under the labour component of MGNREGS directly to the eligible beneficiaries via electronic payment system".
The centre also directed Uttar Pradesh to complete piped water projects on a priority, alongside speeding up digging of wells and farm ponds. The state was also asked to ensure maximum coverage for farmers under the recently launched crop insurance scheme.
Currently, only 7-10% of farmers in Uttar Pradesh, and about 30% from the Bundelkhand region, are covered under existing crop insurance schemes.
The centre will work with states in the true spirit of co-operative federalism to address problems faced by vulnerable regions, the statement from the PMO said.
The last time the country experienced back-to-back droughts was in 1986-87. It was only the fourth time in a century that the country has had to battle two consecutive years of scant rainfall.
The agriculture ministry told Parliament on 4 March that 2,806 farmers had committed suicide in 2015 due to “agrarian reasons".
Maharashtra recorded the highest number of suicides (1,841), followed by Punjab (449), Telangana (342), Karnataka (107) and Andhra Pradesh (58).
However, several states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh did not report any farm suicides to the Centre, despite these being widely reported in the media.
Temperatures across India will likely soar higher than normal between April and June, with the north-west set to experience a particularly hot summer, the India Meteorological Department said in its maiden summer forecast on 31 March.
Data from the ministry of water resources show that at end-March, water levels in 91 major reservoirs in the country were at just 25% of capacity. The situation is acute in the parts of the country, precipitating a crisis of drinking water in northern Karnataka, Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and Bundelkhand region, spread across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
