Patna: The Bihar government on Saturday
sanctioned withdrawal of Rs 570 crore from the contingency
fund towards diesel subsidy for farmers as Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar sought more central funds and additional
electricity from the central pool for tackling drought in the
state.
The state cabinet gave the nod to advance withdrawal
of Rs 570 crore from the contingency fund for the subsidy for
saving standing maize and paddy crops, official sources said.
Kumar who had met the six-member central team that
toured drought-affected districts yesterday, said the state
was facing drought for the second successive year. "We want
more central funds to generate jobs in the drought hit
districts under MNREGA.
The chief minister said that without central
assistance it would be difficult to fight drought.
The central team which visited 16 of the 28 districts
declared drought-hit by the state government found the
situation grave, the sources said.
The team was sent by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
following a request by Kumar when he met him last week. Kumar
had sought a financial package of Rs 5000 crore to tackle the
problem.
The team was informed of loss of 50 per cent kharif
crop because of scanty rainfall.
Magadh and Patna divisions were worst affected with
the water table depleting.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, August 14, 2010, 18:10