 "Bundelkhand drought: Central team tours UP")
Over the next three days, the team would tour the seven districts of Bundelkhand apart from the adjacent Kanpur City district to take stock of the situation and submit a report for relief package.
The team comprised officials of central departments of National Horticulture Board, sugarcane, rural development, water and sanitation etc.
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Bundelkhand comprises Lalitpur, Jhansi, Jaluan, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot districts, which have been facing the spectre of drought for the last three years.
During the 2015-16 rabi season as well, there is strong possibility of actual sowing and production in these district falling short of targets.
Earlier, the state government had demanded a package of Rs 1,261 crore for the affected districts over damage to the rabi crops.
Chairing a meeting with the visiting central team, UP chief secretary Alok Ranjan urged the delegation to facilitate the speedy release of the relief package demanded by the state.
Meanwhile, the UP government has decided to provide free ration to the eligible beneficiaries in Bundelkhand and Kanpur City under the Food Security Act for the next four months owing to drought.
To provide succour to the affected areas, the state government has set a target of installing 5,786 new hand pumps and re-boring 3,527 existing ones by July 2016.
Last year, 50 out of total 75 districts in UP were declared drought hit due to deficient rainfall with Bundelkhand being the worst affected.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 7, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had sought adequate assistance in combating drought. He had urged the Centre to release funds for completion various pending projects, including potable water.
The state is providing free food packets to nearly 1.80 lakh families covered under the ‘Antyodaya’ scheme, which enumerates poorest of the poor population for subsidised ration.
About 1,000 water tankers had been pressed into service to supply water in about a dozen parched districts in Bundelkhand and neighbouring areas.
Earlier, the Centre had dispatched a ‘water train’ to UP for supplying water in the drought affected Bundelkhand.
The train consisting of water wagons sans water was stationed at the Jhansi railway station, however, the ruling Samajwadi Party government had spurned the offer and claimed the water train was not needed as there was ample amount of water in water bodies.
Instead, Yadav had urged the Centre to provide 10,000 water tankers to deploy them for ferrying water in the remote areas.
Apart from demand for rabi crop package, the UP Disaster Management Department had also sought Rs 2,057 crore for relief to farmers over damage to kharif crops.