The Orissa government is demanding for Rs 963.69 crore from the Centre for drought relief measures.
?The state government has submitted a memorandum to the Union ministry of agriculture demanding a central assistance of Rs 963.69 crore for drought management,? revenue and disaster management minister SN Patro told FE. The state has also urged the Centre to provide Rs 553 crore from the calamity relief fund due from the Centre for 2008 drought and 2009 flood, he said.
The state has declared that 15 of the 30 districts in the state are affected by drought due to scanty rainfall during the current monsoon season.
According to National Remote Sensing Centre, 10 districts of the state are drought-affected. However, as per the estimate of crop loss, 15 districts of the state are affected by drought, the minister said.
?Prima facie it appears that drought this year is more widespread than that of last year,? said state special relief commissioner NK Sundaray.
?Out of the 314 blocks, 29 have received rainfall less than 50%, while 98 blocks have witnessed 50 to 75% rainfall of the long-term average during the period June 1 to September 30, 2010,? the memorandum stated. The state experienced average deficient rainfall of 31.2% in June, 14.7% in July and 21% in August and 2.4% in September. Vast areas of the state are affected due to deficient rainfall and its uneven distribution.
The state has sought an assistance of Rs 963.69 crore from the National Calamity Contingency Fund(NCCF) to provide support to the most vulnerable segments of the society, small and marginal farmers and agriculture labourers for revival of agriculture.
The state government has demanded Rs 290.50 crore for agricultural input subsidy, drought proofing measures and installation of private lift irrigation points and Rs 159.69 crore for waiver of crop loan interest, emergency feeding, supplementary nutrition and revival of defunct LI points.
It has demanded Rs 213.25 crore for drinking water supply, Rs 143.54 crore for taking care of annual resources and Rs 5.52 crore for health care measures.
The memorandum also reminded the Centre about the assistance of Rs 151.92 crore approved by the high-level committee (HLC) headed by Union finance minister as drought relief for 2009. The Union agriculture minister had also made a statement in Parliament assuring release of the central assistance. The state government meanwhile announced a drought relief package declaring 10,336 villages of 90 blocks and 104 wards of 14 urban local bodies in 15 districts as drought-hit.