PM to address chief ministers on drought situation on Monday

Concerned over drought conditions in several parts of the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the Chief Ministers of all states here on Monday on measures to salvage the situation.

The Prime Minister would make use of the presence of Chief Ministers, who are gathering here for a meeting on internal security, to discuss the worsening agriculture scenario following inadequate rainfall and shrinkage in area under cultivation, sources said.

According to recent data, as many as 161 districts out of a total of about 600 have been declared drought affected.

Singh in his address to the Chief Secretaries of various states last week had expressed concern over rising prices of essential commodities like pulses, sugar and vegetables and had asked them to activate the public distribution system (PDS), "which is an important safety net especially for the poor and helps cushion them against price rise."

The Prime Minister also emphasised the need for planning for the coming Rabi (winter crop) season to compensate for the loss in output during the Kharif (summer crop) season.

Singh, according to sources, is likely to ask the states to take steps to curb speculative trading by taking anti-hoarding measures and make use of funds available under NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) to expand irrigation facilities in the drought-hit areas.