High-level task force on drought to review situation on June 30
The Centre has provided relief worth Rs 11,157 crore to 17 drought-hit states since last year. This includes Rs 3,240 crore in cash and Rs 7,917 crore worth of foodgrains.
The cash component of the assistance comprised Rs 1,362.87 crore disbursed from the Calamity Relief Fund and Rs 1,877.32 crore released from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF).
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Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh announced this at a press conference here today. He said the high-level task force on drought, headed by Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, would meet on June 30 to review the situation.
It would also consider the demand of some states, notably Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, for more assistance to continue drought relief operations.
Singh said though the drought, which was a fallout of 49 per cent less rain in July 2002, had originally affected 17 states, only nine states were still being treated as drought-ravaged.
The states are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
He said rainfall due to the south-west monsoon had now improved despite some deficiencies in the last two weeks.