Ranchi: The Jharkhand government will soon
convene an all-party meeting to take stock of the severe
drought condition prevailing in all the 24 districts.
It also decided to increase the size of the state
contingency fund from Rs 150 crore to Rs 750 crore to meet
relief measures.
Both the decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting
chaired by Chief Minister Arjun Munda today, Chief Secretary A
K Singh told newsmen here.
The date for the all-party meeting on drought has not yet
been decided, he added.
The Cabinet, also attended by his two ministers Sudesh
Mahto and Hemant Soren, directed to give crop insurance to
farmers worth Rs 138 crore.
As per drought relief measures, the government has
directed to ensure at least one source of drinking water in
each of the over 33,000 villages in the state.
The cabinet also decided to give poultry the status of
agriculture, he said.
The government would give seeds of various crops at 75
per cent grant following the failure of paddy crop. This
scheme, he said, would incur Rs 40 crore.
Guidelines to regulate private security agencies was also
approved by the cabinet.
PTI
